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Restoring community policing and funding proper youth servicesAs an A&E doctor, I have had to tell heartbroken parents that their child has died from knife wounds. As a mother of two young children, the thought of what these families must feel is unimaginable. The Government have a duty to make us feel safe - but we have lost 20,000 police officers across the country. I have been working closely with Sadiq Khan and our local police chiefs to ensure we are tackling violent crime locally.
Multi-sector work is crucial in tackling crime. This is why for the last two years I have held violent crime summits, bringing together the Deputy Mayor of Policing, local authorities, police officers, and youth groups. It was clear from discussions that not only are the police overstretched and underfunded, but that the root causes of crime are not being acknowledged or addressed. Reacting to crime alone is not good enough; we must be proactive in preventing crime from happening in the first place. Our police are overstretched and Government cuts have meant they are under-resourced. Often, police resources are being deployed to focus on the aftermath of crime, not on the prevention. Where we come from should not dictate the path we take. We need a properly funded youth service and better job opportunities to offer young people an alternative to crime. Under the Tories, youth services have been decimated by £1 billion in cuts. Labour will create a national 'Youth Service Guarantee', ensuring every young person has access to high quality youth work in their community regardless of their background or circumstance. Labour will also restore real community policing with properly funded local teams. It is only through tackling the cause and effects of crime that our young people can fulfill their potential and our communities can be safe. |