Commissioner Hogan-Howe warned young people: "Getting involved in gangs can ruin a young person's life. With a criminal record it can be harder to get a job or into further education, while being involved in violence can lead to getting arrested, sent to prison, seriously injured or even killed.”
Launching a major crack down on gang crime in London yesterday, the Metropolitan Police Service is set to take the streets from the Bro Clan and give them back to those they rightly belong- Londoners!
In the crack down launched yesterday (Wednesday 8 February), Dozens of suspected gang members were targeted in a series of co-ordinated operations which marked the start of a major new crack down on gang crime by the Metropolitan Police Service.
Yesterday’s significant operation spearheaded by the newly formed Trident Gang Crime Command, saw the beginning of a step change in how the MPS tackles gang crime in the capital and forms a key part of the Met Commissioner's total war on crime.
Hundreds of police officers took part in yesterday's operation which saw suspected gang members being pursued for a series of crimes, including assault, robbery and drugs supply in a refreshed approach to help stop young people getting killed or seriously injured.
According to a Met source one thousand officers will now be dedicated to tackling gang crime in London with the creation of a central Trident Gang Crime Command as well as the introduction of local task forces across London. The Met source said the new command would retain responsibility for the prevention and investigation of shootings, but would now work more closely with boroughs to proactively tackle gang crime.
Vigilance learnt that the new command would be enhanced with additional specialist resources from the MPS, including Operation Connect and the Serious and Organised Crime Command (SCD7). It was further gathered that the command would take responsibility for real time monitoring of gang activity across London and work with new 'Grip and Pace' centres to coordinate and task corporate resources, both overt and covert, quickly at the relevant places.
It was disclosed that 19 priority boroughs would have dedicated gang crime task forces to deal with local gang crime, and would work with their partners to implement diversion and prevention activities. Also, other boroughs and specialist commands would also be required to have more of a focus on gang crime.
A spokesman for the Met said the new approach builds on the good work already seen in the MPS and ensures all the expertise and skills in the service are brought together and used in a more targeted and effective way, adding it will see better and more consistent use of intelligence to identify and prioritise the most harmful gangs and gang members, while spotting young people on the periphery who can be referred to other agencies for help in keeping away from crime.
MPS Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe said: "This is a step change in how we tackle gang crime in London. It will allow us to identify and relentlessly pursue the most harmful gangs and gang members. It will help us identify young people on the periphery of gangs and work with partners to divert them away.”
Commissioner Hogan-Howe added: "Although we are now nearly doubling the number of officers dedicated to tackling gang crime, the police can not do this alone. It is vital we work with the public, local authorities, charities and other agencies to prevent young people from joining gangs in the first place."
According to MPS intelligence systems there are an estimated 250 active criminal gangs in London, comprising of about 4,800 people. Of these gangs 62 are considered as high harm and commit two thirds of all gang-related crime.
Range of gangs being target include organised criminal networks involved in Class A drugs supply and firearms, to street-based gangs involved in violence and personal robbery. This relatively small number of people is responsible for approximately 22% of serious violence, 17% of robbery, 50% of shootings and 14% of rape in London.
It is no longer news that gangs exist in and around all parts of the capital, but are more prevalent in about 19 London boroughs, making up of mainly young people, aged between 18 and 24 years, but officers have seen even younger children involved in or on the periphery of gangs.
Commissioner Hogan-Howe added: "The vast majority of young people in London are law-abiding, good citizens who make a positive contribution to our communities. However, there are still too many young people who are, or could get involved in gangs. We want to prevent young people getting involved in gang offending so we and other agencies are offering ways out to support young people. However, those who refuse our offer of help will be pursued and brought to justice.”
Hogan-Howe warned young people: "Getting involved in gangs can ruin a young person's life. With a criminal record it can be harder to get a job or into further education, while being involved in violence can lead to getting arrested, sent to prison, seriously injured or even killed.”
Hogan-Howe was quick to assure the London public: "We're not concerned with peer groups or just friends who may 'hang around' and we have no intention of criminalising an entire generation. Our focus is on violence and criminal behaviour associated with gangs and gang members."
DCS Stuart Cundy, OCU Commander for the new Trident Gang Crime Command added: "Since its launch in 2000 Trident has developed its expertise in combating shootings in London, and in recent years Trident has become more and more focused on tackling gangs across London.”
While noting: "Today sees the Met building on the proven successes of Trident and other units. This new approach is a significant change for Trident as it now leads the Met's response to gang crime, but rest assured Trident will remain focused on preventing and investigating all shootings in London, regardless of the victim's or perpetrator's background.”
DCS Cundy revealed: "Trident was launched with a strong community partnership. I intend to reduce gang crime and improve community support for what we do and what we want to achieve, namely protecting some of our most vulnerable victims and communities in London."
Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: "We've been attacking gangs from all angles. Now the Met has a concerted and determined push to take out the ring-leaders and tempt impressionable youngsters away from this destructive life. I made it clear when appointing a new Met Police Commissioner that this was the top crime priority for our city, a view shared by Bernard Hogan-Howe.
After the launch yesterday, in what could be regarded as a massive show of solidarity, the Commissioner and Mayor Boris Johnson were joined by dozens of police officers, community workers, council leaders and relatives of people that had been killed in gang crime as they took part in a group photograph in a public demonstration against gang crime in London.