Calls for a commission on knife crime in the black community

Despite making up only 13% of London’s total population, black Londoners account for 45% of London’s knife murder victims, 61% of knife murder perpetrators and 53% of knife crime perpetrators.



The London Assembly is concerned about these figures and has today called on the Mayor and the Government to set up a joint commission to specifically look at knife crime affecting the black community.



Sem Moema AM, who proposed the amended motion, said:



Tackling violent crime, which has had a disproportionate and tragic impact on Black Londoners, must remain at the top of City Hall’s agenda.



“I am pleased that this amended motion has been passed by the London Assembly today calling for City Hall and the Government to set up a joint commission to look at the additional resources needed to urgently address this issue.



“We cannot ignore the underlying factors behind violent crime, such as deprivation, lack of positive opportunities and inequality. This is why a continued multi-agency and holistic approach is needed, engaging all levels of Government”.



Shaun Bailey AM, who proposed the original motion, said:



“Since 2016, sanction detection rates have fallen from 17.3% to just 8.7% last year, despite there being more police on London’s streets than at any point in almost 20 years.



“I am very concerned especially as the statistics in the black community are so much worse, black Londoners are disproportionately more likely to be both the victims and perpetrators of knife crime. Until all Londoners are safe, London is not safe.



“The Mayor needs to take drastic and immediate action to reverse this devastating reality in our black communities.”



The full text of the amended motion is:

This Assembly is concerned that despite making up only 13% of London’s total population, black Londoners account for 45% of London’s knife murder victims, 61% of knife murder perpetrators and 53% of knife crime perpetrators.



This means black Londoners are disproportionately more likely to be victims and perpetrators of knife crime.



This Assembly recognises that knife crime is a long-term issue nationally and that all agencies need to work together to tackle it. Data published by City Hall in December 2021 reviewed disproportionality in serious violence among young people in London. The analysis highlighted that the driving factors behind young people becoming involved in or a victim of violence are lack of opportunity, deprivation and inequality. This Assembly believes that it is therefore important to talk about and tackle structural inequalities and institutional racial discrimination across the country to tackle disproportionality in youth violence.

Furthermore, this Assembly notes that there were some positive findings within the City Hall analysis which shows that all types of serious violence experienced by young people have fallen over the last four years, with knife crime resulting in injury down 36 per cent and under-25 knife crime down 48 per cent, compared to the peak in the twelve months to December 2017. However, every death from violent crime is heart-breaking, devastating families and communities, and we must continue do all we can to tackle the issue.



This Assembly notes that the Mayor Sadiq Khan introduced the Violence Reduction Unit, the first of its kind in England, rooted in prevention and early intervention. Furthermore, we note that the Mayor recently put funding into the London Crime Prevention Fund of almost £50 million to tackle crime in London over the next three years. This funding will support London boroughs to tackle violence in their area, reduce offending in the community and support victims.



This Assembly therefore calls upon the Mayor and the Government to set up a joint commission to specifically look at what additional resources are required to tackle knife crime affecting the black community and what his office, the Metropolitan Police Service and government departments such as the Home Office and Department for Education can do to work together to address this issue in London, and nationally.