Sadiq Khan visits Tottenham to discuss youth violence

The London mayor met with local police officers to hear about their targeted enforcement and “early intervention” approach to tackling youth violence, reports Olivia Opara

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan on a walkabout with police in Tottenham

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan joined specialist Met officers to find out they are tackling violence affecting young people in Tottenham through enforcement and education.

Khan met with specialist Met officers and local community police constables on Thursday (25th) to see first-hand how the police’s approach to targeted enforcement alongside education and early intervention to steer young people away from violent crime.

The target enforcement falls under the Met’s wider ‘Operation Denali’ which aims to tackle crime in areas known for high volumes of serious violence and knife carrying. The operation is currently conducted in six London boroughs – Haringey, Enfield, Croydon, Lewisham, Greenwich and Newham – where specialist police teams carry out targeted high-visibility patrols and activity on high streets and transport hubs.

Since launching in January 2022, more than 1,900 arrests have been made and 500 weapons removed from the streets. In Haringey, homicides have fallen by 40%, 49 dangerous weapons have been seized and 196 arrests made since Operation Denali began.

At Thursday’s event, the mayor was shown around Tottenham Hale, as neighbourhood officers and local community youth workers told him about the dedicated youth work and enforcement they have been carrying out across the borough – such as the ‘Youth Innovation Hub’ initiative launched last year.

Chief Inspector Rob Renstead said: “[Tottenham Hale] is a real high footfall location, so for us it is pivotal for us to be out and visible and interacting with the community.”

Police youth engagement representatives and Reverend Wood from local community charity Hope in Haringey had a sit-down with the mayor at Tottenham Police Station to hear about the work they are doing together to educate young people on the dangers of carrying knives – with Reverend Wood emphasising the need to “encourage young people to have confidence in the police.”

Hope in Haringey has also been an intermediary between young people and police, helping young people to better engage with the police on a community level.

Targeted operations such as Operation Denali are being supported by record investment from City Hall, which also goes towards positive opportunities for young people in disadvantaged areas – sitting alongside the work the Met is doing with local communities through education and diversionary programmes.

The Met has nearly 500 officers dedicated to youth engagement and diversion who are working in partnership with London’s schools and local authorities to help divert those most vulnerable and at risk from violence away from a life of crime.

Progress has been made in tackling violence with the number of murders in London last year falling to its lowest rate since 2014 and teenage murders reducing by more than 50% compared to the previous year, according to latest data.

However, the mayor still sees “tackling violent crime and keeping all Londoners safe” as his top priority. He added: “The Met’s work in areas disproportionately impacted by violence is making a difference with significant drops in violence and murders in these areas and dangerous weapons being removed from our streets.

“But we know we cannot just arrest our way out of violence and that is why education and prevention work is so vital.

“I urge the government to follow this lead to funding long term solutions to tackle violence so we can continue to build a safe London for everyone.”

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