London Daily

Focus on the big picture.

Key questions Sadiq Khan faces on London’s violent crime problem

Key questions Sadiq Khan faces on London’s violent crime problem

Today we start the first in a series of reports looking at the Mayor’s record on key issues. In the first of three pieces examining crime, Martin Bentham looks at violence in capital

When 18-year-old Hussain Chaudhry was stabbed to death in Walthamstow last month he became the ninth teenager to die in a knife attack in London this year.

That’s already more than half the 15 who were killed in similar manner in 2020 and a rate of killing that, if continued, will take this year’s total well past the 26 teenage homicides of 2019.

The stabbing of Reece Young, 23, in Croydon on Tuesday is the 30th killing investigation launched by the Met.

They’re depressing figures, and although murder rates are not the only measure of Sadiq Khan’s success or failure in his job of making London a safer place, they’re also not the only disappointing statistics from his time.

Knife crime overall for example has been at or near record levels for much of his mayoralty with around 15,000 offences per year, until a slight dip since the Covid lockdowns helped bring street crime down.

The comparison between the tally of 15,928 knife crimes recorded by the Office for National Statistics for the year to the end of March 2020, the last period before the coronavirus restrictions kicked in, with the figure of 9,752 offences for the 12 months to the start of April 2016, the final phase of Boris Johnson’s stay in City Hall and just before Mr Khan took over, makes uncomfortable reading.

Rape prosecutions have slumped too, while the Mayor’s recent admission during an interview on LBC that London isn’t safe for women prompted the immediate questions of why not and whether he should have been doing more to tackle the problems highlighted by the Sarah Everard case.

Even his approach to the vigil for Ms Everard has raised doubts about Mr Khan’s approach with his loud condemnation of police tactics after the event went wrong in contrast to his apparent silence beforehand. His judgment has been made to look even worse by the rebuke from the police watchdog, which backed the Met’s actions and denounced prominent critics.

It’s a powerful charge sheet for his opponents to use against him, but one that Mr Khan contests as he uses the Blairite mantra of being “tough on violent crime and tough on its causes” to fight for a second term. He has repeatedly blamed many of London’s difficulties on the legacy of austerity and the impact that reduced funding has had on youth services and the most disadvantaged.

The Mayor claims credit for an overhaul of the Met’s controversial “gangs matrix” to stop young Londoners, many of them black, being either put on the database in the first place or kept on it too long with damaging consequences for their futures. A target for the force to have 40 per cent of new recruits from ethnic minority backgrounds by next year has also been set.

Although his supporters concede that crime has gone up during his tenure by six per cent, they point out that gun offending is down 15 per cent since May 2016, burglary down 12 per cent, and moped muggings nearly a third lower.

What then do others make of Mr Khan’s record? One criminal justice source said that assessing Mr Khan’s record on crime is “far from straightforward” because police have operational independence and receive much of their funding from the Home Office, while offending patterns are influenced by factors such as drugs supply.

But the source suggested that despite these caveats, the main problem appeared to be that Mr Khan lacked conviction and had instead “spent much of his term of office responding to events and the public mood, rather than leading from the front”.

“He has flip-flopped on key policies instead of sticking to his guns,” the source added. “In 2018, with knife crime on the rise, he backed the Met’s promise of a ‘significant increase’ in the use of stop and search — having pledged in an Evening Standard interview in 2015 to ‘do all in my power to further cut’ the use of stop and search.

“Last year, after protests in London over George Floyd, he appeared to flip-flop again, drawing up plans to ‘address community concerns about the disproportionate use of certain police powers affecting black Londoners’. It makes it hard to know what he really believes.”

Caroline Pidgeon, a Lib-Dem London Assembly member, is surprised that the Mayor did not seek to restrain the Met’s use of facial recognition or spit guards, given his background as a human rights lawyer, and thinks the reason is that he’s not as interested in criminal justice as other parts of his portfolio.

“The areas that I am concerned about — sex offences, domestic abuse, violence against women, child abuse and sexual exploitation, those numbers continue to rise,” she says. “I’m not sure the Mayor has a grip on pushing the Met to make sure resources are in the right place.”

Polls show that despite such criticisms, Londoners think Mr Khan has better ideas on crime than Tory Shaun Bailey, and that he is heading for a second term. Mr Khan said “keeping Londoners safe has always been my top priority”, and promised to invest in more police and youth services and stand up to any cuts.

“My strategy is to be both tough on crime and tough on the complex causes of crime,” he said.

“I’ve put over 1,000 more police officers on our streets, invested £70 million in youth and sports clubs and created England’s first Violence Reduction Unit.

“If I’m re-elected on 6 May I will continue to invest in more police officers and youth services and stand up against the Government’s repeated attempts to cut police and youth budgets.”

On crime, his record suggests there’s very much a job still to be done.

HOW THE PARTIES SQUARE UP


Sadiq Khan - Labour


The incumbent mayor has said he will be “tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime”.

He has pledged to invest more money in community and sports projects aimed at young people who are at risk of getting caught up in crime and continue his £45million Young Londoners Fund, which he started in 2018. He has promised 1,300 more officers on London streets, paid for by a 26p a week council tax hike, and to campaign against any central Government cuts to policing.

Shaun Bailey - Conservative


Mr Bailey has said he wants to “put pressure on criminals rather than communities”.

The Conservative candidate has promised to use Home Office funding and long term savings at City Hall to hire 8,000 new police officers. He wants to install “high-tech scanners” in the capital to find concealed knives. Using revenue from the Mayor’s Infrastructure Levy he has also vowed to reopen all 38 police stations shut during Mr Khan’s tenure.

Luisa Porritt - Lib Dem


The Lib Dem candidate has said she wants to “get the police back to being a service, not a force”.

She has pledged to “restore community policing” by increasing the number of local ward officers in the capital. Porritt has said stopping police station closures and reopening the most viable stations is a key to a safer capital. More than 100 London station front counters have been closed since 2012 and over 30 station buildings have been sold off. The Lib Dems also want to set up a London-wide youth service to help coordinate school activities for young people and give them support to escape violence.

Sian Berry – Green


The Green candidate has said she wants to “save officers time for things that really improve public safety” by deprioritising the policing of cannabis.

The Green Party, which has campaigned for the decriminalisation and regulation of all drugs, has vowed to put an immediate stop to officers using just the smell of cannabis to justify stop and search.

Berry has said she wants to provide heroin prescribing and free drug safety testing, explore the possibility of opening safe drug consumption rooms and divert drug users from the justice system and into support services. She has also promised to set up a specialised crime unit to protect London’s wild spaces.

Newsletter

Related Articles

London Daily
0:00
0:00
Close
Unelected PM of the UK holds an emergency meeting because a candidate got voted in… which he says is a threat to democracy…
You Are So Beautiful
Rob Schneider explains California reparations legislation.
Postmodern Jukebox European Tour Version
Who knew badminton could get so intense?
An old French tune (by Georges Brassens) Pomplamoose ft. John Schroeder
Farmers break through police barriers in Brussels.
Sattahip Motor Show 20
London's Iconic British Telecom Tower Sold To Become Hotel
SONATE AU CLAIR DE LUNE - Moonlight sonata
Ukraine Arrests Father-Son Duo In Lockbit Cybercrime Bust
A kiss to build a dream on
US Offers $15 Million For Info On Leaders Of Cybercrime Group Lockbit
Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton (Boyce Avenue acoustic cover)
Russia Claims UK Cultural Agency Spied for Ukraine
Mean Blues
Apple warns against drying iPhones with rice
La Chansonnette
Alexei Navalny: UK sanctions Russian prison chiefs after activist's death
Pattaya Addicts
German economy is in 'troubled waters' - ministry
Franz Liszt - Liebestraum - Love Dream
In a recent High Court hearing, the U.S. argued that Julian Assange endangered lives by releasing classified information.
Dream a little dream of me
New video
Unchained Melody sung like you've NEVER heard!
Tucker Carlson says Boris Johnson wants "a million dollars, in Bitcoin or cash, from Tucker Carlson to talk about Ukraine.
Dave Brubeck - Take Five
Russia is rebuilding capacity to destabilize European countries, new UK report warns
Édith Piaf - Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien (Sofie)
EU Commission wants anti-drone defenses at Brussels HQ
Rondo Alla Turca
Von der Leyen’s 2nd-term pitch: More military might, less climate talk
Kiss of fire
Global Law Enforcement Dismantles Lockbit Ransomware Operation
Tom Jones - I´ll Never Fall In Love Again 1967, 1989, 2001
Prince William Urges End to Gaza Conflict
Israel Cachao López - Guajira Clásica
UK court to hear Assange's final appeal against extradition to the US, where he faces charges related to his journalistic work—the publication of a classified video in 2010 that exposed US war crimes against humanity.
Edward Maya - Stereo Love (feat. Vika Jigulina) (Extended Mix)
About 50-60% kids either chose to be YouTuber or influencer
Strauss - Radetzky March - Karajan
A viral video of Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce lying on a Canberra footpath is celebrated by his media mates.
La vie en rose
European Countries React to Navalny's Death by Summoning Russian Diplomats
The Temptations - My Girl (Smokey Robinson Tribute) 2006 Kennedy Cent
Israel has gone ‘beyond self-defence’ in Gaza, says Labour’s Streeting
Orlando Cachaito Lopez Redencion
English farmers to be offered ‘largest ever’ grant scheme amid food security concerns
Edith Piaf - NON, JE NE REGRETTE RIEN
Cameron government knew Post Office ditched Horizon IT investigation
RADETZKY MARCH-2008-Wien, New Year Concert
EU Calls for Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza Conflict
Only you (And you alone)
EU Vows To Hold Putin "Accountable" After Meeting Alexei Navalny's Wife
Strangers In The Night
EU Launches Probe Into TikTok Over Child Protection Under Digital Content Law
Charles Aznavour - La Boheme
The EU Initiates Naval Mission to Defend Red Sea Trade Routes
Summer time
EU and UK Announce Joint Effort on Migration
Sting and Stevie Wonder - Fragile (from Sting's 60th birthday concert)
Brazil's Lula Likens Gaza Operation to Holocaust, Israel Says "Red Line" Crossed
Aux Champs Elysees
Ministers Confirm Proposal to Prohibit Mobile Phone Usage in English Schools
Stand By Me - Ben E. King (Boyce Avenue acoustic cover)
Microsoft-backed OpenAI valued at $80bn after company completes deal
La Mer (Beyond the Sea) – Avalon Jazz Band
‘Alexei would want to tell Russia not to give up fighting’
She
Rwandan Footballer's Dismissal Sparks Concerns Over UK Asylum Plan
Nathalie Song by Enzo Petrachi Stjepan Hauser Cello
Whisky Challenges China's Baijiu Market During New Year Celebrations
Shape of My Heart - Sting (Boyce Avenue acoustic cover)
Avdiivka - Symbol Of Ukrainian Resistance Now In Control Of Russian Troops
Radiohead - Creep
Putin Critic Alexei Navalny's "Killers" Refusing To Hand Over Body, Say Allies
Quizás,Quizás,Quizás - Andrea Bocelli - Jennifer Lopez
"Historic Step": Zelensky Signs Security Pact With Germany
Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps - Multi-Couples
"Historic Step": Zelensky Signs Security Pact With Germany
Pentatonix Havana
20 Tech Giants Sign Effort To Fight AI Election Interference Across Globe
Paula Cole - Autumn Leaves
Joe Biden Accuses Putin of Causing Navalny's Death
Oscar Benton Bensonhurst Blues
Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny has died at the Arctic prison colony
OH NANANA vs ABUSADAMENTE
Tucker Carlson grocery shopping in Russia. This is so interesting.
Nina Simone - ”I Put A Spell On You”. Vezi aici cum cântă Jeremy Ragsd
Julian Assange's Wife Warns of His Death if Extradited to US
NIGHTWISH - The Phantom Of The Opera
‘A lot higher than we expected’: Russian arms production worries Europe’s war planners
Motorshow 2016 Tanjay Negros Oriental
Greece Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage and Adoption Rights
Monica Bellucci - Ti Amo
Hungarian Foreign Minister: Europeans will lose Europe, the Union's policy must change drastically
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean Milena The Voice France 2018
In Britain Homeowners are receiving CPO’s (Compulsory Purchase Orders) so their homes can be redistributed to migrants
Michael Buble (Help Me Make It Through The Night) feat Loren Allred
Memories Canon In D - Maroon 5 (Boyce Avenue piano acoustic cover)
Matteo Simoni - Marina
Maroon 5 - One More Night
Maroon 5 - Memories
Mark Knopfler - Brothers In Arms (Berlin 2007 Live)
Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris - Romeo And Juliet (Real Live Roadrunni
Marina, Marina - The LUCKY DUCKIES intimist live concert at Guimarães
Major Lazer & DJ Snake – Lean On Mauranne The Voice France 2016
Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet - Joslin - Henri Mancini, Nino Rota
LoLa & Hauser - Love Story
Linkin Park Jay-Z - Numb Encore (Live 8 2005)
Hallelujah Mennel Ibtissem, The Voice France Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen - Dance Me to the End of Love
Leonard Cohen & Natasha Rostova - Dance me to the end of love
La casa de papel - Bella Ciao
La Camisa Negra
L'italiano (Toto Cutugno) - The Gypsy Queens
Juanes - La Camisa Negra
Jonathan and Charlotte - Britain's Got Talent 2012 Live Semi Final - U
John Powell - Assassin's Tango
Joe Cocker - You Can Leave Your Hat On (LIVE in Dortmund)
Joe Cocker - Unchain My Heart 2002 Live
Joe Cocker - A Whiter Shade Of Pale
Jay Z & Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind LIVE
Jason Mraz - Im Yours (live)
Jarrod Radnich - Bohemian Rhapsody - Virtuosic Piano Solo
James Blunt - You're Beautiful
James Blunt - You're Beautiful & Bonfire Heart (Live at The Nobel Peac)
If You Go Away - Helen Merrill & Stan Getz (Tribute to Virna Lisi)
I'LL BE MISSING YOU
I Say a Little Prayer
Hotel California ( Eagles ) 1994 Live
Historia de un amor - Luz Casal. Vezi interpretarea Biancăi Sumanariu
Here Comes The Sun - The Beatles (Boyce Avenue acoustic cover) on Spot
Heart - Stairway to Heaven Led Zeppelin - Kennedy Center Honors
HAVANA by Camila Cabello Zumba Pre Cooldown TML Crew Kramer Pastra
HAUSER and Señorita - I Will Always Love You
HAUSER - Waka Waka
HAUSER - Sway
HAUSER - Lambada
HAUSER - Historia de un Amor
HAUSER - Despacito
Great Pretender
Georgia May Foote & Giovanni Pernice Samba to 'Volare' - Strictly Come
Gary Moore - Still Got The Blues
GIPSY KINGS VOLARE Penelope Cruz
Fugees - Killing Me Softly With His Song
French Latino - Historia de un Amor
For A Few Dollars More The Danish National Symphony Orchestra (Live)
Flashdance • What a Feeling • Irene Cara
Filip Rudan - “Someone You Loved” Audicija 4 The Voice Hrvatska Sez
Eric Clapton - Wonderful Tonight
Enya - Only Time
Enrique Iglesias - Bailando (English Version) ft. Sean Paul
Enrique Iglesias - Bailamos
Elena Yerevan Historia de un amor
Ed Sheeran - Shape of You (Official Music Video)
Ed Sheeran - Perfect Symphony [with Andrea Bocelli]
Ed Sheeran - Perfect (Official Music Video)
Easy On Me - Adele (Boyce Avenue 90’s style piano acoustic cover) on S
ERA - Ameno
ELENA YEREVAN- Cancion Del Mariachi-IN STUDIO-2017 DPR
Dust In The Wind - Kansas (Boyce Avenue acoustic cover)
Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
Despacito x Shape Of You - Pentatonix
Deep Purple - Child In Time - Live (1970)
David Foster When A Man Loves A WomanIt's A Mans World (SealMichael Bo
Dance me to the end of Love ( Pi-Air Design )
Coolio - Gangsta's Paradise (feat. L.V.) [Official Music Video]
Conquest Of Paradise (Vangelis), played on Böhm Emporio organ
Cielito Lindo
Chico & The Gypsies - Bamboleo
Canción Del Mariachi - Antonio Banderas, Los Lobos • Desperado
Camila Cabello - Havana (Audio) ft. Young Thug
Camila Cabello - Havana ( cover by J.Fla )
California Dreamin' - The Mamas & The Papas José Feliciano (Boyce Ave
Buster Benton - Money Is The Name of The Game
Hallelujah Pentatonix
Bobby McFerrin - Don't Worry Be Happy (Official Music Video)
Bob Dylan - Knockin' On Heaven's Door Emilia The Voice Kids France
Besame Mucho - Cesaria Evora
Ben E. King - Stand by Me Sax Cover Alexandra Ilieva Thomann
Bella Ciao
Bella Ciao - INSTRUMENTAL
Beautiful in White x Canon in D (Piano Cover by Riyandi Kusuma)
Bad Romance - Vintage 1920's Gatsby Style Lady Gaga Cover ft. Ariana Savalas & Sarah Reich(1)
BELLA CIAO 2020 - KARAOKE ITALIANO
BAMBOLEO - Gipsy Kings • Antonio Banderas, Katya Virshilas
BAILANDO (original)
Awesome Ukrainian yodeler - SOFIA SHKIDCHENKO (with English subtitles)
Avicii - The Nights
Atom - The Great Gig in the Sky
Aretha Franklin - (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (Official Ly
Antonio Banderas - Cancion del Mariachi (Desperado)
André Rieu - Zorba's Dance (Sirtaki)
André Rieu - Can't Help Falling In Love
André Rieu & Mirusia - Ave Maria
Andrew Reyes Elton John - Don't Let The Sun Go Down The Voice 2020 (
Andreas Kümmert Whiter Shade Of Pale The Voice of Germany 2013 Showd
And I Love You So
All About That Bass - Postmodern Jukebox European Tour Version
Alan Walker - Faded (Piano Cover)
Ain't No Sunshine -- Bill Withers (cover by Canen 12 y.o.)
African music
Adriana Vidović - “Creep” Audicija 4 The Voice Hrvatska Sezona 3
Adriana Vidović - “Believer” Nokaut 3 The Voice Hrvatska Sezona 3
A Fistful of Dollars - The Danish National Symphony Orchestra and Tuva
4 Beautiful Soundtracks Relaxing Piano [10min]
2CELLOS - Whole Lotta Love vs. Beethoven 5th Symphony [OFFICIAL VIDEO]
2CELLOS - Smooth Criminal (Live at Suntory Hall, Tokyo)
2CELLOS - Smells Like Teen Spirit [Live at Sydney Opera House]
2CELLOS - Despacito [OFFICIAL VIDEO]
13 Year Old Girl Playing Il Silenzio (The Silence) - André Rieu
094.All About That Bass
00 - SADNESS PART 1
(Ghost) Riders In the Sky (American Outlaws Live at Nassau Coliseum, 1
(Everything I Do) I Do It For You - Bryan Adams (Boyce Avenue ft. Conn
What a wonderful world
Moon river
×