Met Commissioner discusses approach to tackling gangs during live webchat
17 February 2012
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe took part in a live webchat today, Friday 17 February, focusing on how the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) is tackling gangs in London.
Around 400 people joined the Commissioner for the one-hour session, which was an opportunity to gauge opinions and receive feedback from London's communities on this important issue.
The Commissioner answered 19 questions, averaging one every three minutes, during the webchat, which was hosted on the MPS website. Questions were also taken from Twitter users via the #AskMetBoss hashtag as the event was publicised on the MPS Facebook and Twitter accounts in advance.
Commissioner Hogan-Howe, said: "When I took up the post in the Met in September last year I said I wanted to speak directly with members of the public to find out their views on how we can be the best police service. Today's webchat was a great way of doing this and we will be holding them regularly in the future."
A series of online polls were run during the event, posing questions to the participants in order to help us understand their views and concerns about gangs.
A sample question raised during the webchat:
One Londoner asked: How do you plan on tackling gangs when the causes are due to identity or inclusion issues? Are there going to be any strategies put in place to try and replicate those issues, when families are not and when other services are turning a blind eye?
Commissioner Hogan-Howe replied: Hello Marisa, we want to divert young people away from crime. We will prioritise those who want help, particularly when they have had a difficult start in life and remain in difficult circumstances. However, we have to stop criminals hurting other people and sometimes that will mean arresting and prosecuting them.
One of the poll questions posted was: How much of a problem are gangs in the area where you live?
- 17% said gangs were the biggest problem in their area;
- 30% said gangs are a serious problem, but there are other crime problems which are more important to me;
- 53% said that gangs weren't a serious problem in their area.
Last week the Commissioner announced a renewed approach to cracking down on gangs in London, which is being spearheaded by the newly-formed Trident Gang Crime Command. During three days of activity across the Capital, there were 515 people arrested and a large amount of weapons, drugs and cash seized.
The new approach means approximately 1,000 officers are now dedicated to tackling on gang crime with the central Trident Gang Crime Command supported by local task forces across London. The command has retained responsibility for the prevention and investigation of shootings, but will now work more closely with boroughs to proactively tackle gang-related offending.
The command is also enhanced with additional specialist resources from across the MPS and will take responsibility for real-time monitoring of gang activity across London. It will work with the boroughs to coordinate and task corporate resources quickly to places where they are required. Nineteen priority boroughs will have dedicated gang crime task forces to deal with local gang crime. They will work with their partners to implement and develop diversion and prevention activities.
To see the replay of the webchat (see related links)
- Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe