Sadiq Khan warns ‘we cannot arrest ourselves out of the problem’ after 18 teenagers killed this year

Exclusive: Mayor of London has launched the Trusted Youth Allies scheme is aimed at tackling the root causes of crime by listening to and understanding the concerns of young Londoners

Sadiq Khan said the way to address violent crime is to ‘tackle the infection before it spreads’ (PA)

The Mayor of London has warned the epidemic of youth violence in the capital cannot be cured through police enforcement alone.

Today Sadiq Khan is to announce £160,000 to help train adults working with youths, to better support those who have fallen victim to crime.

The Trusted Youth Allies pilot scheme will give young people in London boroughs with high levels of youth violence and low trust in the police the chance to speak to a trusted adult if they become a victim. There are more than 360,000 young people victims of crime – between 7 and 25 years old – in London every year but only a third report them.

The initiative - which comes after a series of killings involving teenagers this year - aims to tackle the root causes of the problem and divert young people at risk of becoming criminals onto better paths.

Elianne Andam, 15, was stabbed to death on her way to school (Family handout/Metropolitan Police/PA) (PA Wire)

Speaking to The Independent, Mr Khan said: “The way to address violent crime is a public health approach. To put simply, you deal with the infection, you stop it from spreading, but you also have to ensure that the infection does not occur in the first place.

“We will not arrest ourselves out of this problem. There must be a combination of prevention and intervention along with enforcement.

“We must look at the root causes of criminality without excusing it – the causes are complex, but they include deprivation, poverty, lack of opportunities, and alienation. If we do not seek to remedy these issues, more young people will carry knives and join the criminal world.

“We also want to police by consent so young people do not view police as the enemy – they are here to keep them safe,” he said.

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The new project comes following the death of 18 teenagers who have died in homicides in the capital this year.

In September, Elianne Andam, 15, was stabbed to death as she made her way to school in Croydon. The teenager’s killing sparked an outpouring of grief, with thousands of people attending a vigil to the “amazing, beautiful” young woman. A 17 year old boy is set to stand trial next year.

In another incident last month, Taye Faik, 16, was killed in Kendal Gardens, a quiet cul-de-sac in Edmonton. Witnesses claimed he was attacked by a pair of men in balaclavas wielding knives outside his home.

Taye Faik, 16, was stabbed to death near his home (PA)

The Trusted Youth Allies pilot will bring together professionals from a wide range of backgrounds including school teachers, youth workers, social workers, youth justice services, community figures, faith groups, parents and carers.

Trusted Youth Allies will work with London’s Violence Reduction Unit - a team of specialists tackling youth violence in the capital.

Mr Khan said higher standards in the Met Police would also help cut crime.

Earlier this year a review by Baroness Louise Casey, commissioned in the wake of Sarah Everard’s murder, laid bare a series of grave concerns about the Met’s culture and standards. The damning report found that Britain’s largest police force is institutionally racist, misogynist and homophobic – in which unacceptable behaviour has ‘been allowed to flourish.’

The mayor told The Independent: “I fully accept the report by Dame Louise Cassey and we are changing the culture and the systems of the Met police to address these issues.

“We want more Black, Asian and minority ethnic Londoners joining the police service as well as those from the LGBT+ community. It is too easy to join the police service and it is too difficult to get rid of bad officers - and that will be changed.

“More trust and higher standards will lead to less crime,” he added. 

Youth leaders in the capital have welcomed the new project but have warned that it must be a long-term scheme in order to create a real impact on youth violence.

Ben Lindsey OBE, founder of Power The Fight said the scheme couldmake a massive difference to the lives of young Londoners (Power The Fight)

Ben Lindsey OBE, founder of Power The Fight, an award-winning charity that tackles youth violence, said: “My charity has been advocating for community training as a solution to youth violence since 2019 – this new scheme can make a massive difference to the lives of young Londoners.

“However, there is a caveat. Many professionals such as teachers, youth workers and doctors are woefully ill-equipped to be dealing with the epidemic of young people losing their lives. It is important that they feel empowered to be a part of the solution.

“There must be dedicated training and support for community leaders to understand violence against women and girls, contextual safeguarding, and cultural sensitivity.”