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Islington Tribune - by ROISIN GADELRAB
Published: 11 July 2008

Police step up home visits to gangs

HOME visits by police to steer teenage gang members away from knife crime are to be extended across Islington, borough commander Bob Carr said yesterday (Thursday).
Plans to visit youths who live in one borough but cause trouble in another were revealed following a crisis meeting between police and council chiefs in Islington and Camden on Friday.
They met to discuss their response to the killings of Ben Kinsella, 16, who was stabbed two weeks ago in Holloway, and Sharma’arke Hassan, 17, attacked in Camden Town in May.
The visits to “known gang members” in their homes have been taking place since the killing of 14-year-old schoolboy Martin Dinnegan in Holloway last year.
Chief Supt Carr said: “We recognise gangs operate across the border and this is something we’ve planned to do. It’s always been our intention to expand in Islington. So far we’ve concentrated on 63 people from two groups and we’re putting more into youth policing as well. It’s worked absolutely. Many have been diverted from crime. There’s nothing to suggest Ben Kinsella’s death was gang-related.”
He added: “Islington is not really gang territory in the way some south London boroughs might be.”
Lib Dem community safety chief Councillor Terry Stacy said: “Lots of people work together to identify gang members, such as the council youth workers, police officers and young offenders teams. We’re using the word gang quite loosely here.”
But Labour councillor Phil Kelly dismissed Friday’s meeting as “a PR stunt”.
Cllr Kelly, who supports home visits to gang members, said: “Nothing has come out about supporting the youths’ campaign to put down knives. It’s all the same old stuff.”

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