Minutes:
The Mayor invited Councillor Ayisi, Cabinet Member for Communities, to introduce the topic of the debate.
After setting out the importance of the issue of violent crime and its effects on young people, Cllr Ayisi introduced his three speakers. The first, Detective Superintendent Des Fahy, Deputy Borough Commander, gave the Council information on the nature and extent of violent crime involving youth, and the action being taken by the Metropolitan Police. The second, Yvonne Lawson of the Godwin Lawson Foundation, set out her personal experience and the work of the foundation that she had established in memory of her son that had been killed in 2010. Finally, Ricky of Project Future, gave his perspective as a young person previously involved in crime who had benefited from the work of Project Future, who he now volunteered for.
The Mayor then introduced the debate. Cllr Elliott gave her views as a parent, and about the long-term effects that victims of crime can face.
Cllr Newton stressed the high risk of young people being victims of crime or participating in crime locally, and the borough’s high rate of reoffending and the importance of an accessible police presence, which could be threatened by the potential closure of police counters that he urged Council to resist.
Cllr Sahota outlined a recent experience of a young person that residents had apprehended on the street, and the need to think about why young people reached the point of committing crime to tackle causes rather than just the symptoms. He also felt centres for young offenders should be considered, following a recent report on their conditions.
Cllr Morris mentioned the recent work of the Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Panel, including the issue of automatic exclusion from school for young people if discovered with knives, which could have detrimental effects for young people, and the alternative approach taken by Gladesmore School. She urged support for the continuation of Project Future.
Cllr Wright also mentioned the issue of exclusions and his experience of youth offending centres as an employee of the National Offender Management Service. He mentioned how a young person’s experience of crime can lead to long-term alienation.
Cllr Ross recently saw a knife amnesty bin being emptied, and felt his shock at the number of knives being collected was perhaps misplaced, given that Haringey had the fourth largest stabbings in London. He hoped action would be taken by the Council to tackle knife crime.
Cllr Weston felt the various causes of crime and loss of opportunity for young people had to be considered needed to be borne in mind. The Pupil Referral Unit had had a positive Ofsted inspection recently, and work was underway with schools to reduce exclusions. She hoped partnership working could help reduce incidence of youth crime.
Cllr Mark Blake set out that stop and search was not a successful approach to tackling crime, and felt there was a need to build consensus on the social determinants of youth crime, and increase opportunities for young people.
Cllr Barbara Blake thanked the speakers, and regretted that young people lived inhibited lives because of the fear of crime and asked what councillors could do to help reduce young people’s fear of crime and enhance community courage.
Cllr Bevan noted that there were now fewer youth projects running in the borough as a consequence of reduced funding, which he hoped could be reversed in the future.
Responding to the debate, Cllr Ayisi thanked all Members for their participation in the debate. He reflected on the relationship between deprivation and crime, and the fact that fear of crime often encouraged criminality. He noted the issue had been exacerbated by the reduction in public expenditure, and argued that engagement with young people was key to tackling it.