Hackney Town Hall

Mayor of Hackney Philip Glanville and Cabinet Member for Community Safety Cllr Caroline Selman, respond to the recent fatalities in Hackney:

“We were deeply saddened to hear of the death of a young man in Hackney on Wednesday night. Our thoughts are with his loved ones and everyone affected by this tragedy.

Residents are understandably upset and concerned about what happened. We feel that sense of loss and indeed anger ourselves. It follows a number of recent attacks in London, including one where a 29-year-old man lost his life in Hackney last week.

We want to reassure people that there has been a robust response to these tragic incidents, and that there is a long-term strategy, with focused action in place to keep Hackney safe.

The Council is working closely with the police, and has focused its youth and community outreach support in the area as well as its Community Safety Enforcement Team. The police have also increased their presence and this will continue over the weekend and into next week, alongside the work being undertaken by the Met’s Violent Crime Taskforce and the Violent Crime Reduction Unit

Whether you are a parent, carer or member of the community, if you have any concerns about a young person, groups of young people, or a location where you feel children are unsafe and would like guidance and support, you can contact the Council’s First Access & Screening Team (FAST) on 020 8356 5500 (Out of hours 020 8356 2710) or fast@hackney.gov.uk. FAST links professionals from our children and families services and the police, health and probation service to support young people and families in need. Support is also available at any one of the Council’s youth hubs and projects, visit www.younghackney.org for information.

Anyone with information regarding this incident can contact the Metropolitan Police Service on 020 8721 4961 or 101, and ask for the Hackney Major Investigation Team.

Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or contact Fearless, a website aimed at younger people where you can anonymously report crimes or issues of concern, and also access information, advice and support. Visit www.fearless.org/en.

The factors leading to violent crime are incredibly complex, and tackling it is a long standing priority for the Council and our partners in the police, voluntary sector and youth organisations. Last year we held a meeting with frontline workers, community leaders and partners to consider what more we can do, because it’s clear that now more than ever we need to work together to put an end to violence on our streets.On the night of this tragedy, we were at the launch of the Hackney Young Futures Commission, which is led by young people. It was an event focused on the challenges our young people face, including safety, but with a real sense that together we can solve them.

Feedback from last year’s meeting made clear the importance of hearing directly about young people’s experiences in response to issues like knife crime and putting young people at the heart of shaping the things that affect their lives. To reflect this, we have increased the outreach work we do in local communities, expanded the community engagement work of the Integrated Gangs Unit with greater links with schools, community organisations and the wider community. We’re transforming how we do social care, through contextual safeguarding which looks beyond the family home, and we invest in front line voluntary sector services.

This further tragic loss of life reminds us that we cannot afford to be complacent and brings home, in the saddest possible way, the urgent need to prioritise tackling serious youth violence. We will continue to work to do everything we can to tackle violent crime on our streets.”