Ending Gang and Youth Violence

Dr Elizabeth Henry, ROTA’s CEO, is a member of the Home Office’s Ending Gang and Youth Violence Advisory Group. The aim of the group is to support the Ending Gang and Youth Violence Strategy.

The cross-government report, published on 1 November 2011, sets out detailed plans to make this happen through:

• providing support to local areas to tackle the problem

• preventing young people becoming involved in violence in the first place, with a new emphasis on early intervention and prevention

• pathways out of violence and the gang culture for young people wanting to make a break with the past

• punishment and enforcement to suppress the violence of those refusing to exit violent lifestyles

• partnership-working to join up the way local areas respond to gang and other youth violence
  

A summary of the report and a more detailed version including further evidence and good practice case studies are available here.

GLA developing a strategic framework for girls and women gang associated.

The Women’s Resource Centre (WRC) has been commissioned by the GLA to develop a strategic framework with minimum standards for girls affected by criminal gangs and serious youth violence in London. WRC have brought together key organisations as an Expert Advisory Group to the development of the framework. Rahana Mohammed, Head of Policy represents ROTA on the Expert Advisory Group. The report is due in March 2012 and is linked to the GLA’s Violence Against Women’s Strategy. The Way Forward which can be viewed here.

Changes on the London Criminal Justice Scene

During the first month of 2012 we have seen a number of changes and plans taking place across the criminal justice arena. Boris Johnson, as Mayor of London, become the first Police and Crime Commissioner in England and Wales, at the same time the Metropolitan Police Service have commenced the development of a new strategy to tackle gang-related crime and serious youth violence. Amongst all this the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill weaves it way through Parliament.

However, in a month when we have seen levels of confidence in the police put under the microscope, particularly in the wake of two people convicted of the heinous murder of Stephen Lawrence, the Metropolitan Police have signalled plans to alter the way in which it operates its section 60, stop and search tactics. Section 60 gives powers which allow the Police to Stop and Search the public without reasonable suspicion.

The Macpherson report 13 years ago highlighted the tensions caused by stop and search due to the disproportionate number of BAME people who these powers were used on. Criticism of the powers has remained, not least due to the low arrest rate following a stop, currently at 6%. New Commissioner, Bernard Hogan-Howe, has stated he would like to see these powers used more effectively.

The Met commented that, “Bernard Hogan-Howe, wanted the arrest rate from all stop and searches carried out to increase from 6% (at this rate the lowest for an urban force) to 20%”.

One method mentioned as part of the reform is to target serious offenders. Although this has its merits, it cannot be guaranteed that a greater focus on more serious offenders to improve the ratio of stop and search activity to actual arrests, will automatically settle problems or shift responsibility from equality and rights. In particular, responsibility of equality has waned with the supposed removal of ‘red tape’ resulting in changes to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE). Changes to PACE have now reduced the data captured during stop and search activity restricting the option to assess the validity of allegations of harassment and abuse. So, although some changes will be welcome, problems of uncertainty, suspicion, confidence and trust are likely to remain unless rigorous oversight and scrutiny can take place on data which is now not being recorded.

Stephen Lawrence Trial

Two men have been convicted of the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence. Gary Dobson, 36, and David Norris, 35, were found guilty of murder by a jury at the Old Bailey. In a struggle that has spanned the 18 years since Stephen’s murder, Stephens’s parents campaigned for justice and in so doing unwittingly exposed the horrible truth of racism and hate crime in Britain.

The Government appointed MacPherson’s inquiry highlighted the failure of the police investigation into Stephen’s murder as well as wide spread institutional racism within public institutions.

The inquiry made far reaching recommendations for policing and the criminal justice system.

In the wake of the trial, ROTA is currently hosting a series of local road shows entitled “Shaping the future: Race and racism in 21st century Britain”.

For further information regarding the events please click here.

For further media articles related to the conviction please see the links below:

BBC News | The Guardian | The Voice