| Dear community leader,
Over the last few weeks we have experienced an unprecedented increase in violence on our streets – violence which has now resulted in the tragic deaths of three people in less than a week. We cannot bring these young people back, or ease the grief of their families, friends and communities. Our community is smaller without them, and we must recognise that whatever has been done to date has not been enough to keep them safe.
This is a crisis for Camden, London and for our country. We understand the fear and anxiety that our communities will feel today. We feel the same worries. We need extra Police on our streets now and in the future. In Camden this is our first priority and we are today coming together to understand what more we can do with our communities to stop the violence.
We are already working closely with the police, voluntary sector and other partners through the Youth Safety Taskforce. Across the borough hundreds of community organisations provide activities and support which help keep our communities safe. This work is a vital part of the whole Camden approach to tackling youth violence. The Youth Safety Fund has supported a range of innovative projects by schools and community organisations to help keep Camden young people safe, which have started this summer. This is a start, but recent events demonstrate how much more is needed, and today we call upon the government to prioritise resources for Police and investment in our young people.
In the meantime, we will continue to support community-led efforts to prevent youth violence and ways to make it easier for local residents to volunteer and get involved. If you would like to get involved in making Camden safer for our young people, contact us at youthsafety@camden.gov.uk We will be continuing our conversations with community leaders in coming days and weeks to hear concerns and identify actions we can take together to help tackle this violence in our communities.
In response to last night’s stabbing incident on Camden High Street, there will be more Police out on the streets, with 50 extra police officers in and around Camden Town in the next few days. Our community presence officers are also in the area speaking to communities and businesses. A Section 60 Order (giving the Police additional stop and search powers) is in place across Camden and has been extended across the weekend. The Police are investigating, and calling for information and we encourage anyone with something to share, however small, to contact the Police. Ensuring that those who commit murder and violence on our streets are brought to justice is a critical part of ending a cycle of violence and giving families a measure of closure. Anyone who has information about this incident can contact the Police on 101 quoting reference number CAD 8865/12Sep, and confidentially through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Yours sincerely
Cllr Georgia Gould
Leader of Camden Council
Keir Starmer
MP for Holborn and St Pancras |
