‘Youths must share blame for crime rise’
YOUNG people who carry knives in London must “take responsibility” for rising violent crime and stop “blaming other people”, a former gang member has said.
Jermaine Lawlor, who now works with Voice 4 Youth Against Violence, told The Sunday Telegraph that cuts to social services and a rising demand for drugs have fuelled violent behaviour, which has not been tackled properly for generations.
But he added: “We also have to take responsibility as a community for our actions. And we also have to hold accountable one another for our choices, and we can’t be externally blaming other people when this is an internal problem as well.
“This is going to continue to rise if something is not done, and it’s the same arguments, and the same questions, as it was three, four, five, six years ago. Because it is the same problems... cuts that have been made to social services, the services that are… structured to help and support vulnerable young men and women coming from predominantly ethnic minority communities.
“There’s been no reinvestment into this society. So what we are seeing is social exclusion alongside social disorganisation and those two together is causing a rise of violence.”
A lack of political will “means that the deaths of young people within London is not a priority and is not on the political agenda”, he added. Mr Lawlor said stop and search can be an “effective tool” if it is used “correctly and appropriately” but he added it has been linked to “racial profiling”.
The key is working with families, young people and others to convince young people there is another way and give them hope, he said.