Islington will work with local communities to reduce violence

Islington will take a public health approach to violence reduction, which puts communities at the very heart of the strategy.

It comes in response to feedback from more than 700 people in the council’s Safer Spaces consultation, the biggest of its kind anywhere in London last year.

Work will include:

• Hiring a Young Women’s Worker, who will help the council to improve services for young women and girls suffering gang-related harm or exploitation. This person will work with young women on a one-to-one basis and will also visit schools and community settings to raise awareness and identify those who are at risk.

• Expanding a network of parent champions, who play a key role in giving families a voice in violence reduction by participating in police training and delivering harm prevention sessions in schools.

• Creating more Safe Havens – safe spaces for anyone who is in danger, feels threatened or in need of help – adding to the network of 120 places from shops and restaurants to libraries, leisure centres and faith venues.

• Safe weapon disposal – Islington’s eight knife bins have so far taken more than 2,000 weapons off the streets, with more than 1,000 since last year.

Islington Council’s Executive Member for Community Safety, Cllr John Woolf, said: “The safety of our community is an absolute priority as we strive to create a more equal Islington.

“Feeling and being safe – at home, in the street, at work, or out and about in our borough – is essential to our quality of life.  Violence, on the other hand, as we have very sadly seen in recent months, has devastating consequences, causing trauma, and altering behaviour that seriously damages people’s lives.

“We will never, ever be complacent and this strategy, developed through the biggest community safety consultation of any London borough last year, sets out how we will work closely with residents and local groups to tackle violence at its root.

Chief Superintendent Andy Carter, Islington Police, said: “Violent crime continues to be the top priority for the Met. Our role as police is to work alongside communities and partners in what must be a team effort in tackling violence.

“We know we have a challenge ahead of us but we will continue to make it harder for violent and predatory people, drug dealers and those involved in county lines gangs and organised crime to operate. As a result I remain confident in our continued determination to progress the in-roads we have made, along with our partners to prevent and tackle violence and keep our communities safe.

“Violent crime cannot be solved by policing alone and there are things that everyone in society can do. The responsibility lies with us all.”

Notes to editors

The Safer Islington Partnership (SIP) coordinates work on crime reduction and community safety in Islington. The council is a lead authority in this partnership, which also includes the police, London Fire Brigade, health sector, probation services and representatives from the voluntary, community, faith, and business sectors.

There are currently knife bins at the following locations:

• St Johns Way - Outside Caxton House Community Centre
• Central Street - Outside Finsbury Leisure Centre
• Caledonian Road - Outside Cally Pool & Gym
• Highbury Fields - Outside Highbury Leisure Centre
• Hornsey Road - Outside the Sobell Leisure Centre
• St Mellitus Church
• Hornsey Road - Next to the Emirates
• Islington Police Station, 2 Tolpuddle Street

Read the Violence Reduction Strategy on the council's website.