Photo by Krzysztof Hepner on Unsplash
By Fatoumata Coulibaly
Concerns about knife crime as as high as ever – statistics show that there were 389 reported knife crimes in Islington against 146 recorded in February 2024. Understandably, many Islington parents are worried about the safety of their children.
In January, a group of Islington mums and dads from the group Islington Concerned Parents UK marched through the borough to demand more police support for children that were victims of knife crime.
At the march, Sinead Masterson, whose son was robbed at knifepoint, told the BBC that, after the incident, there was ‘quite a lot of policy presence around the location, but we noted that was for like a week”. She added that the police presence has now decreased, and children feel unsafe.
Helen Chidodo, 52, from Kenya, is visiting her daughter in the UK, where she is studying for a Master’s degree. She said that she worries about when her daughter goes out alone as believes streets in London are unsafe.
Reduction of services
Sam Mason, CEO of the education initiative Black History Studies from the Black Culture Centre in Islington, blamed the spike in knife violence on the government’s reduction of youth employment services.
‘I used to be a youth worker for many years and I know the powerful impact of youth workers amongst young people,’ she adds.
The UK government is toughening the rules on sale of knives online. Under new legislation, internet knife sellers must ask buyers for a passport or driving licence and a live video to establish their age.
Employment minister Alison McGovern said in a BBC Breakfast broadcast, “We know that the technology is there to improve verification checks and I think that everyone would want that, every business, every organization.”
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