Islington Together: Let's talk about a safer future

As part of its commitment to make Islington’s communities safer, more inclusive and better connected, the council has drafted its new Violence Reduction Strategy. The strategy lays out plans to prevent serious violence before it occurs, minimise its impact on the community and support those most at-risk or affected.

The council is hosting a week of events between Monday, 27 September and Sunday, 3 October, which will include opportunities to find out about the strategy, hear from the council’s Community Safety team, meet officers from Islington Police, and provide feedback on the strategy via an online survey.

The week kicks off with a launch event at Islington Assembly Hall on Monday, 27 September, featuring presentations from Cllr Sue Lukes, Executive Member for Community Safety, and Islington Police Superintendent Dominic Barnes, as well as several other key figures and council officers. Attendees will also be able to submit their own questions and comments to the panel on the night.

Other events include a live online ‘Community Conversation’ with Cllr Sue Lukes and a series of ‘Coffee with a copper’ meetings – where residents can talk directly to police officers – taking place at community centres around the borough.

Cllr Sue Lukes said: “We want to make Islington a place where everyone can feel safe and addressing violence and crime is an important part of that.

“Our view is that no-one is safe until we are all safe, which is why our strategy will address the disproportionate impact of violence on certain groups, for example: young Black men, women, and vulnerable adults.

“We want to empower our communities to take ownership over their neighbourhoods and to be our partners in this process.  This is their chance to tell us not only what they want us to tackle but also what they can do themselves, with our support, to reduce anti-social behaviour, fear or crime.

“We all need to come together to tackle complex issues like violence, crime and community safety, so I encourage anyone who lives in Islington to get involved this week: come along to an event, tell me your thoughts or even just find a couple of minutes to complete the survey.”

The six key priorities of the strategy are:

• Places and Spaces – everyone should feel and be safe in our streets, regardless of your personal identity, the time of day, or how busy it is
• Women's Safety – women in Islington should be free of fear both at home and out in public
• Youth Safety – our children and young people should be protected from youth crime and violence and given the best possible start in life
• Adults – preventing vulnerable adults from being exploited and exposed to violence, and supporting adult offenders to move away from crime, whilst holding them to account for their actions
• Organised Crime – protecting the community by preventing vulnerable individuals’ involvement with organised gangs, disrupting criminal behaviour, and providing support and exit strategies for those who want to leave
• Drugs and alcohol - reducing the harm that drugs and alcohol cause to individuals and communities by supporting those with substance misuse issues to recover and break free from violence