Crime and anti-social behaviour

As a parent and someone who practised criminal law for 20 years, I’m deeply concerned by the anti-social behaviour that comes from young people buying alcohol from irresponsible licensees and binge-drinking on Islington streets. That’s why last year I was pleased with the Home Secretary’s initiative to confiscate alcohol from under-18s and launch an independent review into whether the industry is selling drink responsibly. I also introduced Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, to police in Angel, where she announced the plan.   

I want my constituents to feel safe around their homes and when they travel. I have been pressing Homes for Islington to install CCTV on local estates, such as the Marquess, where cameras have now been fitted after a long campaign. I have also supported Transport for London’s programme of installing CCTV at Holloway Road and Caledonian Road stations – the latter alone now has more cameras installed than there are in the rest of Islington!   

The deaths of Martin Dinnegan, Naz Osawe and Ben Kinsella – three Islington boys – within one year reminded us all how serious a problem knife crime is in London, and what still needs to be done to tackle it. Across my constituency I held six coffee mornings with Islington residents, Safer Neighbourhoods teams and representatives of the prosecuting and courts services, to hear views on what we can do to stop knife crime. Following the meetings, I took the ideas I’d been given, and met with the Home Secretary to discuss them with her. I impressed upon her the importance of taking seriously and prosecuting youths caught with knives, and the pressing need for quality youth services in Islington.  

I’ve talked about the need for a knife amnesty to get the weapons off our streets, and this year I spoke in Parliament about the positive difference made by random police stop and searches in the immediate aftermath of a crisis.