‘We need societal change’: Sadiq Khan talks to South London Press on battling knife crime in the capital

In the final week of our Time to Talk anti-knife crime campaign, the Mayor of London and former Tooting resident, Sadiq Khan, talked to us about what he is doing to combat the scourge of knife crime on our streets, and praises the South London Press for our contribution.

I’ve met with many bereaved families, as an MP and as Mayor, but it never gets any easier. Listening to a mother talk about having to bury her child, or a father recall the final conversation they had with their son or daughter – not knowing it was their last – is heartbreaking.

But I know my experiences are nothing compared to the lifetime of grief, pain and devastation that those who have lost loved ones to knife crime endure. Knife crime destroys lives. It robs brothers and sisters of their siblings, schoolchildren of their friends and London of talented young people. It also sends ripples of hurt and fear through our communities, creating trauma and leaving people feeling less secure.

That’s why I’ve made tackling knife crime and other violent crime my top priority. Everyone deserves to be safe and feel safe at all times of the day and night in our city, regardless of their gender, borough or background. When I took office, violent crime was rising around the country, including in London, amid huge Government cuts to our police force and youth services.

My administration acted quickly – investing to plug the gap by funding an additional 1,300 police officers. We took action to restore neighbourhood policing, increase spending on services designed to prevent violence against women and girls, and put record sums into creating positive opportunities for young Londoners as part of a tried-and-tested strategy of being tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime.

We also set up England’s first Violence Reduction Unit, which is applying public health principles to tackling violent crime, including using evidence and data, and working with young people and communities to understand when we can intervene early to prevent violence. Since the VRU was formed, homicides and robberies of personal property in London have gone down by a quarter. Last year, we also saw a 50 per cent drop in the number of teenage homicides.

This progress is encouraging, but I’m keenly aware that violent crime remains too high. The tragic and senseless killing of Elianne Andam is a stark reminder that as a city, and a society, we must urgently redouble our efforts to eradicate this scourge. One young Londoner lost to knife crime will always be one too many.

As Mayor, I’m determined to bear down on violence and address the underlying causes of crime – like poverty, inequality and a lack of opportunities. Knife crime is complex and we’ll never be able to simply arrest our way out of the problem. Solving it is going to require societal change, national action and sustained investment, as well as partnerships with a variety of organisations – from grassroots groups like the VRU’s community-led programme My Ends in Southwark, Lambeth and in Croydon, to the South London Press, whose Time to Talk campaign is a welcome contribution to ending this horrific violence.

While we’re heading in the right direction, with homicides, gun crime, and knife crime with injury among under-25s all down since 2016, there is more to do and we will lead by example in doing it. Whether it’s targeting perpetrators, reforming the police or investing in constructive activities for young Londoners, we will continue to pull out all the stops not only to protect our young people and help them achieve their ambitions, but to build a better, fairer and safer London for everyone.

Pictured top: Mayor of London Sadiq Khan (Picture: PA)