Action call to combat gun crime
REPORT SHOWS STEADY RISE IN OFFENCES
GUN crime in London has increased over the past three years, with almost seven gun offences recorded in the capital every day in the 12 months leading to October 2017.
A London Assembly report found that offences involving a gun have been steadily increasing since 2014, reversing the decline in gun crime seen in previous years.
In the 12 months to October 2017, gun crime was up 16% on the previous year and 44% on 2014, while the number of lethal guns fired in crimes has increased by around 20% since 2012.
The report, published on Tuesday January 23, also found that close to two-thirds (59%) of offenders of gun crime were aged 25 or younger, while young people make up a third of gun crime victims.
Although the statistic has remained steady, trauma surgeon Martin Griffiths, from Royal London Hospital and Major Trauma Centre Barts Health NHS Trust, said that while in 2012 the average victim was around 25 years old, the patients he treats these days tend to be younger.
“Our hotspot is about the mid to late teens and so 19-year olds and 20-year olds are being shot,” said the surgeon.
The report charts three ways for guns to enter the capital: from overseas, from other parts of the UK or from theft from licensed suppliers and owners.
The supply of guns from abroad was highlighted as a “growing concern”, with the majority of guns originating in America, while weapons originating in eastern Europe are increasingly making their way in though ports in private and commercial vehicles.
Some of these include de-commissioned firearms which “are easily converted into a viable weapon”.
The National Crime Agency highlighted the role of technology, particularly the dark web, where criminals can “order parts of a weapon or indicative parts of a weapon and... with a small amount of effort and sourcing parts within the UK or elsewhere, they can put together a handgun or a pistol that is viable that we would regard as a prohibited weapon here.”
The report recommended specialised support for victims of violence, their families and friends to “reduce the chance of retaliation” as well as educating Londoners from an early age.
Other recommendations to the Mayor of London include engaging with tech companies around the issue of gang videos and social media and providing information about consequences of carrying a gun.
“It is not about sticking plasters. Not about sewing up patients. It’s about preventing injuries, understanding communities, supporting communities and investing in youth,” said Mr Griffiths.
Chairman of the London Assembly’s police and crime committee, Steve O’Connell, said: “The number of gun crime offences in the capital is small, but nonetheless it is a crime that can cause devastating effects for victims, families and communities.
“The supply of guns from abroad being aided by new technology is a trend that needs to be stopped in its tracks.
“And the worrying trend that both offenders and victims of gun crime are getting younger means we must provide more information to young people about the consequences of carrying a gun, and what to do if they find one or are aware of someone possessing one.
“The question for the mayor is whether guns require a distinct and specific approach to prevention and intervention.