In 2023, the city of London experienced a tragic wave of violent crime that claimed the lives of 21 teenagers. The final victim, Harry Pitman, was fatally stabbed just 20 minutes before midnight on New Year’s Eve, marking a grim end to the year.

Newsquest London initiated a campaign to address the issue of violent crime among youths in the city. They sought to engage with Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, to discuss his current and future strategies to combat this pressing issue.

Despite efforts to arrange an interview with Sadiq Khan, News Shopper was provided with a written statement from the Mayor’s office instead of a direct interview. In the statement, the Mayor acknowledged the devastating impact of knife crime on local communities and expressed a commitment to addressing the problem.

The Mayor highlighted a decrease in youth homicides involving knives since 2016, although he recognized that every loss of life to violent crime is a tragedy that must be prevented. Moving into 2024, Sadiq Khan outlined plans to enhance policing efforts and allocate funding for additional Community Support Officers to be stationed across London, as well as implementing measures within schools to tackle knife crime.

An important initiative announced by the Mayor involved providing mentoring support to 100,000 young people in London by the end of 2024, with a total funding commitment of £34 million from City Hall. Sadiq Khan also emphasized the need for collaborative efforts between local and national authorities to effectively combat violent crime, stressing the importance of addressing root causes like poverty and social inequality.

In his commitment to creating a safer London, the Mayor voiced determination to continue leading efforts to reduce violent crime and called on the government to play its part in addressing this national issue. Sadiq Khan reiterated that while progress has been made in lowering crime rates, there is still much work to be done to ensure the safety and well-being of the city’s residents.