Press release: How young people are using football to rebuild Tottenham

PRESS RELEASE

30/08/11 – For immediate release

How young people are using football to rebuild Tottenham

In response to the riots, young people from across Haringey are using football as a vehicle for rebuilding Tottenham and improving youth, community and police relations.

Youth-led grass roots group Haringey Young People Empowered (HYPE) funded by Haringey Community and Police Consultative Group, will be holding its 4^th annual HYPE unity football tournament on Saturday, September 3, 2011.

The tournament will also serve as a public consultation with the young people to consult their views on:

• The causes of the riots
• Police powers and relations
• Solutions and directions for change

The tournament will also run sessions introducing young people to stop and search legislation and literature, how young people can be a part of local decision-making and will be running with the support of the Haringey Community & Police Consultative Group and Haringey Safer Neighbourhood to unite all sides of the community who have a part to play in Tottenham’s rebuilding – the community, young people and the police.

Symeon Brown, a HYPE member, said:

“We have been very fortunate to have had great success over the year with engaging young people. We have some amazing stories where the tournament has broken down barriers between young people from every area of Haringey and young people and the authorities”.

“Last year, our tournament was played in memory of Godwin Lawson whose young life was tragically cut short after being stabbed to death in Hackney, calling for peace on the streets. Godwin had been part of our previous projects”.

“This year we felt it was so important that, in the wake of the riots, we addressed the subject with our young people, really listen and try to inspire positive action at the same time”.

“HYPE has always been about young people being HYPE (a street colloquialism for excited and manic) about changing their community”

How the tournament works:

The tournament is for 15 to 18-year-olds and invites young people from across Haringey to submit a 5-a-side football team.

When teams get knocked out they are offered a chance to have a chance to re-enter if they are willing to form a new team made up of people from different parts of Haringey.

This feature of the tournament attempts to tackle postal code rivalry by encouraging friendships across postal code boundaries to be built.

The event will feature a number of guest speakers, food and entertainment.

Notes to editors:

1. HYPE was founded in 2007 by three young people: Symeon Brown, Saba Kerr-Armstrong and Janay Cochrane to tackle postcode rivalries and improve youth and police relations

2. For more information email hype_youth@hotmail.co.uk or call Erika Lopez on 07506342547

3. Location: Perth Road Playing Fields, off White Hart Lane, N22, between 10am and 4pm

4. Hype in the Media:

www.enfieldindependent.co.uk/news/8274202.Loved_Godwin_remembered_at_HYPE_football_tournament/

www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/jul/09/godwin-lawson-football-tournament

www.itnsource.com/jp/shotlist/ITN/2010/07/10/T10071008/?v=0&a=1

Originally published at: http://hypeyouth.tumblr.com

Haringey Young People Empowered [HYPE] is a youth movement in North London founded in 2007 by a group of teenagers from across Haringey We are a positive cartel of young people from 13-23 from who are here to change, first our estate, then the city, then our world. We are HYPE for the right reason.

Via Symeon Brown.

Follow @SymeonBrown on Twitter

Lee Jasper on ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Watch here:  
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-08-09/violence-in-london-continues/2832204?section=world

Violence in London continues

Posted August 09, 2011 22:58:00

The bedlam in London has continued into its third night with no sign of an end. The violence has spread beyond the city and police are stretched trying to contain the crisis.
(Leigh Sales)

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-08-09/violence-in-london-continues/2832204?section=world

LEIGH SALES: A new day in England has brought fresh fears of more violence.
The nation is reeling from the worst unrest in three decades.
It's also been a dramatic day on the Australian stock market and shortly we'll be speaking to some retirees about their fears for their nest eggs.
But first let's go straight to those extraordinary London scenes. Rioters are now rampaging far beyond the capital.
The violence has shut down entire suburbs and terrified residents are fleeing their homes.
In a desperate move, Scotland Yard has introduced special powers in some areas to try to contain the trouble.
But is the police presence on the ground sufficient?
Shortly I'll be crossing to London, but first have a look at some of the dramatic pictures out of the UK in the past 24 hours.
(vision of the London riots)
VOICE: Put that down! Put that down!
VOICE 2: Police lines, they had the lines had actually charged towards her and started hitting her with a baton. Subsequently it turned out she was only 16 and this absolutely made everyone go up in an uproar.
VOICE 3: Pity the policeman don't carry guns here.
VOICE 4: I just think the emergency services' response was awful.
VOICE 5: The police are fighting us too much. They're telling us no, no and then they killed someone.
VOICE 6: I don't know why people do this.
LEIGH SALES: Unbelievable, isn't it? Joining me now from London is Lee Jasper, he was a policing qualities adviser to the former London mayor Ken Livingston.
We know the protests started in Tottenham on the weekend because of a specific incident where police shot a man but what's driving the spread of this violence well beyond that area?
LEE JASPER, FORMER POLICING ADVISOR: I think there are a number of reasons for its spread. I think we've seen huge levels of austerity cuts in many inner city areas that's leading to a great deal of anxiety, concern, young people themselves now are not able to afford to take higher education, even at a basic level, much less get into a higher educational degree. That unemployment continues, unemployment continues to rise and there is a sense of anxiety but also a sense of moral crisis in the country. I think because of the MPs scandal, the corporate tax dodging issue of huge multinational companies, the News International corruption cases with the metropolitan police and phone hacking, there is a kind of failure really of people in power to uphold the kind of moral standards that we all aspire to. And as such, this has had an effect around the country particularly in some very poor and deprived communities. I saw a youth with a 52-inch screen walking, having robbed it from a local store in London and when I asked him what he's doing he said to me that this is his banker's bonus, it's his MPs expenses. We have a kind of malaise, a crisis of morality in the country. Things are very tough in very many areas and I think there is a sort of criminal opportunism that is riding on the back of a legitimate protest of what was a very serious incident of gunning a man down on London streets. And as a consequence of that lots of people have sought to criminally exploit what is a legitimate issue.
LEIGH SALES: Sorry to interrupt you, but presumably there would be a lot of Londoners who feel disenfranchised or unemployed affected by the austerity measures who are upset with the issues you raise who aren't out on the streets of London looting, is this merely an excuse for people to indulge in criminal behaviour?
LEE JASPER: I don't think so because I think as reprehensible as the attacks on people and property are and Lord knows that that is true, it is incredible that you could think about explaining a situation without making reference to the fact that we've got deeply alienated sections of our inner cities. Young people who don't think they've got any stake in society and I think any society wants to minimise the number of people that feel like that and unfortunately over the last few years we've seen that number grow. People are not able to get houses, people are not able to get into higher and further education. And with the abandonment of hope and opportunity, the policies of cynicism and desperation fill the vacuum. I think what you're seeing is a take up by people in very many inner cities who are deeply alienated, deeply angry, deeply frustrated and are taking out their misplaced anger in a splurge of criminal irresponsibility.
LEIGH SALES: If I could read you a comment which was left on the London Telegraph's website in response to an article that's making similar points to those that you're making and the comment is:"What a load of twaddle. Come from a broken home and was raised on council estates. I didn't look at people who had more than me and think jealous thoughts. Through sheer hard work and determination I retired at 40 a very wealthy man. Opportunities in life stop and start with the person in the mirror." What do you say to that?
LEE JASPER: He's not 21 and living the young black person on a housing estate in the middle of Peckham or Brixton or Hamsworth or a young white person in Wandsworth, Liverpool, Newcastle whose whole family for a generation has been left unemployed. One can't simply discount these things. Everybody wants a return to order and normality but if we think that simply locking people up is going to solve the problem in the wake of these disturbances then we're set to see a repeat of those disturbances at some point in the future. One can deal with the symptom which is the explosion of criminality but one has to also focus on the cause and that is the lack of engagement, democratic engagement, deep alienation that is faced by many young people in our inner cities and in fact not even young people. We've got 40 or 50-year-olds now being made unemployed in the country who are completely angry and alienated that their futures and their pensions are degraded and so on. Let me say this, this is not about young people or indeed young black people. I've been on the streets of London. I've seen middle-aged dentist technicians out there on the streets of London. I've seen people who are in a professional capacity and I think when you find the arrests are made you will find although the poor and deprived areas are represented they're by no means exclusively the ones being engaged in these activities.
LEIGH SALES: Where are the protestors coming from and what's the level of coordination of what's going on?
LEE JASPER: We're living in a multimedia world and all of the tools for coordination are already out there. So people are using social networking sites which everybody now is fairly accustomed to and are able to organise all sorts of activities using this new network and social media and that is providing a communications platform for people to initiate coordinated activity right across the country.
LEIGH SALES: Lee Jasper, thank you very much for making time to speak to us today.
LEE JASPER: Thank you.

 

For Kingsley Burrell, Smiley Culture and Demetre Fraser

Left to right: Kingsley Burrell, Demetre Fraser, Smiley Culture. R.I.P.

The Black community’s history as a people both in here the UK and the wider world can be viewed as a series of on going struggles for equality and freedom. That history is punctuated with critical moments that represent significant and important milestones in our fight for justice and equality.
The ending of slavery, the right to vote, the campaigns for the independence of former British colonies, the civil rights struggle, the ending of the colour bar, the murder of Stephen Lawrence all represent such key moments.

Of late over the last decade marching lost its meaning and with the Public inquiry into the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence many Black activists simply laid down their banners and placards assuming that racism was defeated they went back to their home and families.

In 2011 the tragedy surrounding the deaths of three Black men in close succession, Smiley Culture, Kingsley Burrell and Demetre Fraser has reignited the black community’s passion for justice . Battered by the cuts and thousands of black men and women being made redundant, savage cuts to the black voluntary sector has left us dazed but determined to fight back.

Whilst the twin headed hydra of crime and poverty has unleashed a bloody war among our young people.
Despite this there is something moving within the black community, and I have never seen such anger and outrage. Packed public meetings and passionate demands for justice are the canary’s in the coal mine. Largely unnoticed by the mainstream politicians and the press the black community is returning to its campaigning roots. There is a feeling in the air that compels us to march for justice.

Tired of the constant attack on our culture ,exhausted by the state mis-education of our children, desperate to secure our children’s future, against a backdrop of our communities slipping silently into a social abyss as a result of consecutive Governments neglect, we are now awaking from our slumber to take to the streets.
Saturday 2nd July 2011 the city of Birmingham saw unprecedented scenes as the city that is now the black deaths in custody capital of the UK came to a standstill. Over 1000 people gathered from around the country to march in support of the Kingsley Burrell Campaign for Justice. Kingsley died after being forcibly arrested by the West Midlands Police earlier this year.

The march was vibrant and dynamic. We were led by a sound system pumping out revolutionary reggae anthems. There were families with children and a broad range of campaigns representing a number of Asian and white communities who joined the march in solidarity. It was a fatalistic sight made more glorious by the wonderful sunshine and the myriad of red, green and gold banners and flags.

We made our way from Hockley, Kingsley’s family home to the HQ of the West Midlands Police in the centre of town. Half way through the march the Sikh Gudwara on Soho Road in a touching gesture of solidarity provided refreshment to the marchers as we passed their temple.
When the police started to try and kettle our march we immediately sat down and occupied the road determined to stay there until the police backed off. They did so and we continued with our march.
We brought Birmingham came to a complete standstill as we marched and chanted for justice. There were speeches at the HQ of the West Midland Police from all the family campaigns who spoke eloquently and with a searing pain that left and indelible mark on all who heard their testimony.

We committed ourselves to the long hard road to justice recognizing the challenge and the difficulty we were no less inspired. We have had virtually no real press coverage of this hugely successful march the media black out was almost total. But go and look on Facebbok to witness what happened for yourself and what you will see will amaze you.

The Black community now sees itself self in a fight for its very survival. Saturday we marched for justice and tomorrow we march for peace aimed at stopping the madness of youth violence. We march today in order to secure our future.
As the mother of Demetre Fraser told the marchers at the rally,
“I looked at the papers when Kingsley died and I felt for his mother. I put the paper down and decided to do nothing about it. Yesterday its was Kingsley, before that Smiley today it's Demetre and I am that mother. Tomorrow it could be you”

Why are we marching again? Because justice demands it, our history dictates we must, it’s in our political DNA and our future that we do so. The mainstream press and politicians don’t get it but they never do. The marching season is back in fashion and poor black and white communities are taking to the streets demanding justice.

Protestors marching for justice in Birmingham on the 2nd July 2011.

Lee Jasper

(First published at OBV: the home of black politics http://www.obv.org.uk/ )

A Day Of Action Against Violence: Because All Life is Sacred

SACRYD:
STRATEGIC ALLIANCE OF COMMUNITIES REJECTING YOUTH DESTRUCTION.

 

SACRYD C/O

CAN Mezzanine

49-51 East Road

London

N1 6AH

admin@sacryd.org

www.sacryd.org

                                                                                                                Date: 13/7/11

A Day of Action Against Violence: Because All Life is Sacred

SACYRD is a new campaigning organisation; a social enterprise company with charitable objectives founded in 2010. Our name stands for Strategic Alliance of Communities Rejecting Youth Destruction.

Who we are and what are our aims?

SACRYD is made up of people and organisations from the voluntary, faith and private sectors, including parents, young people, local Government and health organisations, all of whom are committed to tackling violence with a focus on knife, gun and violent crime in our communities.  SACRYD is supported by organisations such as The Black Police Association, The Damilola Taylor Trust, The Peace Alliance, Eastside Academy.

All of those involved in SACRYD recognise the need for a dynamic campaigning advocate self-empowerment organisation that can advocate and champion the need for the urgent adoption of a strategic preventative public health approach to reducing violence.

Put simply a public health approach to violence seeks to treat the problem of violence as a social disease focussing on, prevention, early intervention, public awareness and treatment and rehabilitation.

We are particularly concerned with the escalation of youth violence that we see as stemming from the wider levels of violence prevalent in the UK.

Violent children are often themselves brought up in violent families who tend to live in violent communities. However we believe that you cannot tackle particular aspects of violence, for example youth violence, domestic violence racist violence in isolation from the general incidence of violence in communities.

SACYRD policy position is that we can effectively reduce levels of serious violence through demanding the adoption of a community led, preventative public health policy in poor and disadvantaged communities.

Our primary objectives are to raise the level of awareness, of both politician’s and the wider community of the proven and tangible benefits of adopting a preventive public health approach. In addition to advocating and driving the political empowerment of local disenfranchised communities in taking the lead in owning and responding to the problem of violence.

Black communities feel completely disempowered in the fight against violent crime.

This is a fundamental and critical error of approach. Black communities must take the lead in tackling violence and hold agencies to account.

This requires communities to organise themselves into robust local consortiums that can act as a vehicle and offer a platform for a range of community led interventions. 

Central to the self-empowerment of communities is ethical principled leadership and clarity of objectives. A public health approach recognises the primacy of communities in any sustainable attempt to reduce violence.

A new approach to reducing violence: Public Health

A public health approach to violence prevention seeks to improve the health and safety of all by addressing underlying risk factors that increase the likelihood that poor communities will be more likely to become either victim’s or perpetrator’s of violence.

By definition, public health aims to provide the maximum benefit for the largest number of people. Programmes for the primary prevention of violence based on the public health approach are designed to expose a broad segment of communities to a range of prevention and intervention violence reduction measures. This approach consists of four steps.

• The first step is for communities to take the leadership role with support from statutory agencies in designing and delivering effective intervention programmes.
• The second step is to defining the problem through the systematic collection of publically available information about the magnitude, scope, geography, characteristics and consequences of violence.
• The third step is identifying and prioritising the causes and correlates of violence, the factors that increase or decrease the risk for violence, and the factors that can be modified through a range of interventions.
• The fourth step is identifying what works to prevent violence by implementing widely available, national and international evidence based examples of successful violence reduction strategies.

Statutory failure - community indifference.

For years a broad range of community organisations have sought to convince successive Governments of the need to take urgent preventative action to tackle serious youth violence. The response has been piecemeal, short term and enforcement led.   This is best summarised as the ‘jail, hospital and cemeteries’ approach resulting increased rates of incarceration alongside increased rates of serious youth violence and an increase in the fear of crime.

Black communities themselves have in the past relied too heavily on statutory funding from central and local government. Combined with a general level of ignorance about the true social, psychological, emotional, economic and environmental costs of violence this has led to a dangerous degree of dependency that has created a climate of complacency.

The reality of the situation we face now is one of completely unacceptable levels of violence, increasing fear of crime against a backdrop of statutory indifference characterised by distinct lack of policy creativity and innovation a general failure to eliminate the insidious culture of statutory silo working, alongside poor highly transient poor communities who are deeply disenfranchised disempowered and disinclined to engage.

What we intend to do.

We believe that an enforcement led approach whilst necessary is not of itself a sufficient requirement to sustainably reduce violence in the long term. Prevention, community empowerment, early intervention, rehabilitation and support for vulnerable families are critical components of any effective violence reduction strategies. 

We believe that both local and central government are failing to adequately protect our communities and that black communities have become both alienated and too dependent on a statutory led approach to this issue.

That is why we are calling for a coordinated Day of Action across London.

Our view is that those communities moist affected by violence have to take direct action in the face of such indifference.

We believe that unless we are prepared to take coordinated direct action in the tradition of the non violent civil rights struggle then our calls to help save our children will fall on deaf ears.

Local and central government are closing down many community based early interventions services, crime prevention and diversion programmes, youth clubs and community centres, after school clubs and nurseries, libraries as well as local parks and adventure playgrounds.

Our fear is that as a result things could get much worse as vulnerable young people and the wider community become increasing alienated from society.

Where will the money come from?

Funding will always be a contentious issue but we believe that it is a false economy to be cutting community led interventions services in high crime areas.

Over £120 million pounds is confiscated from criminals each year. In the light of that we believe that Government should now agree that 100% of all locally criminally confiscated assets be returned to local communities enabling them to have the necessary resources to build their capacity to lead on this issue.

This we believe has a number of immediate and obvious benefits.

Ø  This is not taxpayer’s money. Confiscated criminal assets can therefore offer much greater flexibility and innovation in terms of funding criteria and innovation in project delivery. 

Ø  Using these assets for community safety and development projects can begin to attack the false glamorisation of a criminal lifestyle. For example the public auctioning of local dealers prized assets will aid in combating this pernicious culture.

Ø  Opening community centres paid for by these confiscated assets will reinforce public confidence in the criminal justice system.

Ø  Reporting crime will be incentivised if people understand that their local community is likely to benefit in a socially productive way.

Ø  We feel that this is proportionately effective as the more crime an area suffers and the more confiscated asset are seized, the more money they have directly reinvested in community intervention and support projects.

Ø  We believe this will increase trust and confidence in the criminal justice system, develop community capacity to take responsibility for crime in their area, minimise the contribution from the taxpayer and enhance neighbourliness and social cohesion.

That is why we are calling on all communities to participate in a London wide coordinated Day of Action: Because all life is sacred. We are hoping that such a campaign will drive home these issues onto the agenda’s of local, regional and central government and most importantly increase the level of constructive engagement of our own communities.

Our objectives are to demonstrate both our anger and concern at the continued and unacceptable levels of the murder of our young people. To challenge statutory agency failure and community indifference by seeking to facilitate community empowerment and local leadership in delivering a public health approach to reducing violence.

Local communities can take any number of actions designed to highlight the serious of our situation both to the government and the wider public. What will be important is effective coordination and effective media management.

There are four high level objectives for the Day of Action: Because All Life Is Sacred campaign

1. Significantly enhance interest from press and politicians and other key stakeholders in the issue of serious violence.

2. Creatively demonstrate and represent the total volume of deaths suffered by local communities

3. To promote the adoption of a public health community led preventive approach to reducing violence in poor communities.

4. To demand that all confiscated criminal assets are ring fenced and handed over to community organisations to fund community safety projects.

We believe that a Day of Action will attract significant interest from our own community, press and politicians whom to date have paid little more than lip service to this issue. We hope you will join us as we take action to stem the violence.

A planning meeting for this event will take place on Wednesday 20th July 6pm-9pm @ Greater London Authority, 
City Hall, The Queen's Walk, 
London SE1 2AA.

PRESS RELEASE: London communities to take a stand against violence

SACRYD: STRATEGIC ALLIANCE OF COMMUNITIES REJECTING YOUTH DESTRUCTION
	Press Release

LONDON COMMUNITIES TO TAKE A STAND AGAINST VIOLENCE

SACRYD, IS PLANNING A COORDINATED DAY OF ACTION AGAINST THE INCREASING VIOLENCE THAT IS IMPACTING UPON COMMUNITIES ACROSS LONDON.

Background

SACYRD is a new campaigning organisation a social enterprise company with charitable objectives founded in 2010. Our name stands for Strategic Alliance of Communities Rejecting Youth Destruction.

SACRYD is made up of people and organisations from the voluntary, faith and private sectors, including parents, young people, local Government and health organisations, all of whom are committed to tackling violence with a focus on knife, gun and violent crime in our communities.  SACRYD is supported by organisations such as The Black Police Association, The Damiola Trust, The Peace Alliance and the famous Eastside Academy.

All of those involved in SACRYD recognise the need for a dynamic campaigning community n organisation that can advocate and champion the need for the urgent adoption of a community led strategic preventative public health approach to reducing violence.  We are campaigning for Government to return the 100% confiscated criminal assets to the community to0 fund anti violence initiatives. Over £120 million is confiscated and that money is sent straight to the Treasury.

Carol Stewart Chairperson of SACRYD said “ Our primary objectives are to raise the level of awareness, of both politician’s and the wider community of the proven and tangible benefits of adopting a preventive public health approach. In addition to advocating and driving the political empowerment of local disenfranchised communities in taking the lead in owning and responding to the problem of violence.

Lee Jasper Secretary of SACRYD stated

“ At a time of increasing austerity confiscated criminal assets should be returned to communities to fund community projects designed to deter and prevent young people becoming seduced into a life of crime. If a crack dealer is running a crack house on an estate we should take his cash and open a community centre. That would inspire confidence  in criminal justice system as well, at a time of cuts to public spending , this cash should fund local initiatives to combat crime.”

He added

“Our objectives are to demonstrate both the level of anger and concern at the continued and unacceptable levels murder and youth violence affecting young people.  We intend to challenge both the failures of statutory agencies and community indifference by seeking to facilitate community empowerment and local leadership in delivering a public health approach to reducing violence. We want a renewed focus on prevention and early intervention not just a focus on enforcement. The balance is not right.

A planning meeting for this event will take place on Wednesday 20th July 6pm-9pm @ Greater London Authority, City Hall, The Queen's Walk, London SE1 2AA.

For more information contact Lee Jasper

General Secretary SACRYD 07984 181797

www.sacryd.org

-End-

Education System Failing Black Students

England’s system of education is failing to tackle race inequality. That's the stark finding of a recently published report. Of course black communities have longed complained about racism in the English education system. This report confirms that when it comes to the issues of discrimination in education, the chronic lack of opportunity in caused by discrimination is alive and flourishing in English schools.

The research, The Barriers to Tackling Racism and Promoting Equality in England’s Schools, published by the National Union of Teachers and the race equality campaigning group Show Racism the Red Card found that huge numbers of teachers and pupils had seen serious racist incidents such offensive and derogatory name calling, racist bullying and gross stereotyping.

The report confirms that despite the views of some in the black community such as Tony Sewell, Katherine Berbalsingh structural inequalities on the grounds of race are still a major issues in English schools. Both pupils and teachers are reported to have witnessed racist behavior that they felt unable to deal with. They also reported that schools generally ignored most racial incidents.

The impact on the perception of black children of the nature of justice and equality is informed by their experience of differential justice meted out in schools. Far from having a ‘ chip on their shoulder” black children’s views about the nature and fairness of British society is shaped by the racism they encounter in schools.

Black and Asian students suffered the greatest but asylum seekers were also suffering with pupils mimicking the public and political debate in the press. Pupils were found to be targeting asylum seekers as scapegoats and identified them being responsible for all of societies problems.

The research involving a questionnaire to over 148 teachers and pupils concluded that around 83% of teachers questioned said they had witnessed deeply worrying racist attitudes or behavior amongst their students. Teachers spoke of name-calling, comments, jokes, racist bullying and stereotyping of different races by pupils of all ages.

Not surprisingly in a culture where the educational environment is poisoned with racism, such attitudes were not restricted to pupils. Of those questioned 31% said they had seen similar behavior amongst teachers. In some cases, they used racist terminology, or had lower expectations of ethnic minority pupils.

The report states there were many "teachers with racist attitudes, for example those who were dismissive of the Asian pupils due to perceived language issues". Teacher expectations has a massive effect on the educational performance of black children and research after research has proven that challenging low teacher expectations is absolutely critical to improving the educational performance of black children. Surprisingly 39% of those teachers questioned said they had not received any training in tackling racism.
Nearly all teachers said that if they witnessed a racist incident they felt confident that they would report it.

Nevertheless the report concluded: "There was evidence of a lack of action against racist attitudes and behavior and a lack of understanding of the mechanisms and reasons for reporting racist incidents.
The research highlighted a deep reluctance among teachers to report incidents where it was felt that the racism was unintentional.

Ged Grebby, chief executive of Show Racism the Red Card, said: "The research highlights that there is a huge gap in the current teacher training provision when it comes to preparing teachers to tackle racism and embed equality. Teachers need to be empowered with skills and knowledge in order to be better equipped to deal with these issues in schools."

Lee Jasper

(First published at Operation Black Vote http://www.obv.org.uk/)

Public Health and Violent Crime: An idea whose time has come

It’s almost three years since I wrote an article on the issue of youth violence for the Guardian newspaper. In July of 2008 I called for the adoption of a public health approach to tackling youth violence and its now five years since I embarked on a campaign to seek to convince Government, stakeholders and anyone else that would listen that this approach would be much more effective method in reducing youth violence.

Since then I have been banging on about this approach meeting after meeting convinced as I am that adopting an multi agency community led interventionist, prevention, education and enforcement public health approach to tackling violent crime was the only effective way forward.

In my original article I cited the injury surveillance projects based at Accident and Emergency units in Wales and Scotland as clear successful examples where a public health approach worked.

So it is with some sadness (given the number of deaths and injuries that have occurred in the last three years) tinged with relief that I read today in the Independent that the example cited by me three years ago is now to be rolled out across the country. The tragedy is that many lives could have been saved if this approach was adopted earlier.

The projected as cited in my original article is information sharing partnership between health services, police, and local government in Cardiff, Wales. Incidence of violence were captured and shared and then informed policing and other strategies to prevent violence based on information collected from patients treated in emergency departments. These were injuries that were not being reported to the police.

At that time I said “Research conducted in three Glasgow hospitals in March 2004 suggests that violent crimes are under-reported by at least 50%, possibly nearer 70%. And 55% of the individuals who came into accident and emergency departments during the period of another recent study stated they would not report their assault to the police. In order to get an accurate assessment of the level of community violence we must start where the action is: at the point of treatment, all violent injuries must be reported to the police. Schools must be champions of the violence-prevention agenda and both must work with community organisations.”

“ Injury surveillance pilot projects started by the government are now being run in Wales and Scotland and early indications are that even at the level of simply capturing and sharing data they are effective in reducing and preventing criminality. The government should build on this success.”

A lots of lives could have been saved had this approach been adopted earlier. Politicians have known about the effectiveness of this approach and yet have been reluctant to implement a public health programmed because of the cost implications. The cost to communities of inaction has left whole communities living with the bitter legacy of serious youth violence.

Thousands of young people are presenting themselves for treatment at hospital A&E departments having been involved in a fight or subject to a violent attack - some of them very serious indeed. The majority, and I choose my words carefully here; do not make complaints to the police.

The official figures on violent crime do not reflect the true extent of level of violence in our communities. The reality as all communities know is that violent crime is much, much worse than the official figures suggest. The data is known but not shared with the public for fear of what might happen if the true extent of violence was to become public knowledge.

This innovative public health approach over a three year period led to a significant reduction in violent injury in Cardiff compared with similar cities in England and Wales.

Information sharing on serious injuries and use were associated with a substantial and significant reduction in hospital admissions related to violence. In Cardiff rates fell from seven to five a month per 100 000 population compared with an increase from five to eight in comparison cities.

Average rate of woundings recorded by the police changed from 54 to 82 a month per 100 000 population in Cardiff compared with an increase from 54 to 114 in comparison cities There was a significant increase in less serious assaults recorded by the police, from 15 to 20 a month per 100 000 population in Cardiff

Professor Jonathan Shepherd, who led the Cardiff Violence Prevention Programme, said:

“All this work was built on the shock finding 15 years ago that all violent incidents are not known to the police, mainly because they aren’t reported.

“Even serious injuries, which lead to hospital admissions, such as knife wounds and even shootings in the US aren’t picked up on by the police.

“We’re recording, in A&E, where the violence takes place – the name of the nightclub or the street and where in the street; the name of the park or the school – what type of weapon was involved and the day and time it happened. This information, collected by the A&E receptionist once anonymised, can be shared with the police and is key to targeted prevention.”

The scheme in Cardiff has been developed over the past 15 years and is dependent on the partnerships between the lo0cal communities, the police, NHS and local council.

Prof Shepherd speaking to Walesonline said:

“This is very practical, straightforward and doable but it will only translate to other areas if it is well managed and it needs the local A&E consultant to get hold of it and work with the local police.
“It hasn’t always been easy setting this up but we now have these partnerships throughout Wales and several hospitals are doing this. The UK coalition Government is also committed to making hospitals share information for the purpose of violence reduction.”

A recent evaluation by the British Medical Journal found “information sharing and use were associated with a substantial and significant reduction in hospital admissions related to violence”.

The study added: “Our findings suggest that communities can achieve substantial reductions in the public health burden of violence through organised data driven partnerships between health, law enforcement agencies, and local government.

“The intervention was associated with an estimated 42% fewer woundings recorded by the police relative to comparison cities four years after implementation.”

Alexander Butchart, of the World Health Organisation (WHO), leading a global campaign on encouraging nations to adopt the public health approach to tackling violence said:
“In light of its large effect on preventing violence, this model will hopefully be emulated by other cities in developing and developed countries.”

Prof Shepherd added: “It’s particularly encouraging WHO has said it wants this model reproduced around the world.
“Because this is such a low-tech idea it means it can be done in those countries where violence levels are very much higher than here but police resources are limited.

Lets hope there is no further delay in implementing this approach by Government and local authorities. Every day loss comes at the enormous cost and personal tragedy to many communities whose lives are blighted with violence.

Lee Jasper





(First published at OBV: The Home of Black Politics http://www.obv.org.uk)

UPDATED: Mayor of London Boris Johnson and youth violence: It’s not a matter of commitment. It’s a matter of competence.

Day by day the body bags of those murdered mount up. In Lambeth we are in the grip of a small war among warring gangs.

With serious youth violence threatening to escalate out of control in certain areas of London I was reminded of the Mayor of London’s Boris Johnsons manifesto commitment to “end the scourge of youth violence “in the capital. I have to say that I was personally impressed by his vision. Boris was as usual eloquent on the issue and I sensed deep down he was both sincere and honourable in his concern and determination to make this a top priority. The Mayor launched his radical proposal in a policy document that set out his proposals entitled “Time for Action”

His vision delivered with much passion, vim and vigour outlined his commitment to get his wealthy chums in the city to contribute millions to his Mayoral Fund launched in April 2009. The fund stated that it:

“…aims to improve the life chances and aspirations of disadvantaged children, young people and their families in London.”

The Mayor was to use his influence with the city of London to secure sponsorship of boxing gyms and youth academies across the capital. That has not happened, the City has not responded to the Mayors invitation, as Boris has recently admitted speaking to the London Evening Standard. At the publication of his strategy in November 2008 he announced:

 "Tackling serious youth crime and the tragic murders of young people has been my most immediate priority since becoming Mayor.

"My action plan will provide the London-wide leadership and coordination that has so far been absent in tackling youth crime."

The Mayoral Fund has been a flop. No real appetite from the City other than a couple of major companies. Unbelievably the fund has spent huge sums of money on consultancies and administration in its first years of existence; far more than it did on funding youth initiatives. The projects that have been supported are quite small and not sufficiently funded to be rolled out across the most seriously affected boroughs in London.

Bizarrely all of the projects funded are in that well known gang hotspot Shoreditch! Over 80% of the Mayors Fund total budget in its first year of operation was spent on management consultants and administration.

I recently attended one of the Mayors Community Conversations in Peckham and there the Mayor publically admitted that  ‘we are not where we want to be in relation to the Mayors fund” and that “we are behind schedule but working hard to catch up”. The fact is the Mayor is so far behind on this issue he is out of sight.

As a result, other than tenuous claims to success gained by funding existing initiatives and badging them as Mayors fund deliverables, nothing much has been achieved. The Mayoral Fund remains one of the Mayors largest personal vanity projects.

The fund: “Time for Action" has been spectacularly unsuccessful of late in reducing the level of serious youth violence in the most affected London boroughs. No one really knows what “Time for Action” is really all about, what it involves or how successful it has been. Whatever the assessment there can be no doubt that however well intentioned the Mayor is, he has failed to deliver on his top line manifesto commitment.

Whilst he is not short on policy he is a day late and a dollar short on implementation. His Time for Action policy contains some excellent proposals, however the Mayor, having taken his eye off the ball now finds himself with one hell of a resurgent problem. The signature statement of his administration has been a distinct lack of policy innovation and one of the few policies that he can claim as his own has simply  not see the light of day. The Mayor seems to be incapable of implementing in any meaningful way his own flag ship policy.

Whilst the policy flounders in the doldrums, young people continue to die on the streets of London.

No doubt the Mayor will claim success in relation to the reduction in the official crime figure relating to levels of violence and youth murders. The problem for him is that in London there is no relationship between the official figures on gun and knife murders and how safe people feel on the streets. If one child gets shot or other innocent bystanders are killed in a drive by the whole capital feels unsafe regardless of the figures.

To be fair the massive increase in the police use of stop and search powers at the behest of Boris and delivered by the MPS as part of their anti knife strategy Blunt 2 coincided with a temporary reduction in these crimes. The problem with this approach is that it is not sustainable over the long term and there is little evidence that schemes like Blunt actually work.

Poor quality stops, incivility from aggressive and sometimes racist police officers have increased alienation among young black people; the very people they are trying to protect and youth violence is back on its remorseless rise.

In relation to the effectiveness of stop and search an in depth study by conducted by Professor Fitzgerald, of Kent University,

analysed Met stop and search statistics from April to October 2009 and concluded there was "no absolute proof that the tactic is of any use".

The statistics showed that during that period 13,247 stop and searches were carried out in Newham, east London, when knife crime fell by 7.7%.  In Islington, north London, 840 searches were carried out and knife crime fell by 24.8%.

But knife crime rose by 8.6% in Southwark despite 9,437 searches being carried out, and it rose by 6% in Waltham Forest, east London, despite 3,123 searches.

The same can be said for many other London boroughs such as Lambeth where we have seen a year on year increase in rates of serious youth violence.

Further more, whole communities in some areas, including young people and their parents, are now living in a climate of fear. Parents are terrified for their children and despite some falls in youth violence across the capital there remains a residual core of inner London boroughs where the problem continues to get worse. These areas feel abandoned and increasingly undermined in their desperate plight to create safer communities.

The overall murder rate can drop but if a small number of young people are spraying machine guns on the streets of London, if young children are getting shot and innocent teenagers are being murdered in the cross fire of warring gangs, then I’m afraid that such reductions are largely academic in terms of how safe Londoners feel.

These killings are stylised public executions designed to instil fear in the public. They are ritualised killings designed to send a message and that message is loud and clear: it is the gangs not the community or the police that run London’s streets. That’s the code on the road.

As if to dramatically reinforce that message those committing the murders show a dangerous and reckless disregard for public safety, the rule of law and Boris Johnson. Public executions, gang murder in broad daylight, witnesses killed and set alight in burning cars, children getting shot. It’s a 'fuck you' statement from the boys on the road.

Playgrounds are empty, children are escorted everywhere, teenagers stay indoors fearing to go out at night or even visit another area of London. The quality of life is desperately poor.

The fear of crime is not really influenced by the official crime statistics, all of which are viewed with great suspicion by the majority of the public. It is usually the nature of violent criminality that alarms. So whilst figures will be dropping in the official figures, a shooting of a child or the discharge in a public space of a Mac 10 machine gun will hugely increase the fear of crime whatever the official figures may say.

The other important aspect of assessing the reality of serious youth crime is the number of unreported serious violence injuries that are recorded by hospitals A&E departments, but are not reported as crimes. In London there are huge levels of underreporting of youth violence as it presents at local hospitals and this masks the extent of the true picture. There would of course be more deaths if not for the skill of surgeons. The conclusion is that the situation is much worse than the official figures suggest.

The combined effects of increased rates of serious wanton violence, high tech and apparently easily available weaponry, lived experience of violence by communities, disbelief in the official figures, rising unemployment, reductions in policing and cuts to youth services  are all combining to create an environment for the prefect political storm for a Mayor who talks a good talk but seems incapable of implementing his own policies. With a meagre budget of £4.5 million the message is clear and unambiguous. There is zero confidence or willingness in the City for the Mayors' programmes.

Even the Mayors' most welcomed mentor scheme seems unlikely to be able to deliver. The University of East London and London action Trust 2 organisations that were brought together as I understand by the Mayors' Office and offered the Mentors contacts even though they each bid separately. They are not a black led bid nor do these organisations appear to have the necessary experience or expertise.  I think that’s potentially illegal.

Black led bids to deliver this project were rejected in favour of these two white organisations one of which, London Action Trust, of which Boris Johnson is the patron. Both organisations lack the competence, the credibility and track record to work with the kind of ‘hard knock’ black boys that are members of gangs or at risk.

In any event given they are unlikely to start work until September, given the summer break and assuming that the Mayoral election purdah period will kick in early in the new year, the Mayor has left it too late to have much chance of achieving any degree of success before the 2012 Mayoral elections.

It does not take three years to determine that mentoring is a good idea and then completely mishandle the procurement process in such a cack handed manner. To complete the tragic picture there is prima facie evidence that the procurement process may well have been illegal and may yet be subject to legal challenge.

The Mayors failure is not one of commitment, I think that is genuinely accepted by most. The critical failure here is the area of competence. The Mayor failed in his attempt to get any traction with London wide implementation of his “Time for Action “policy. He has failed to any raise any substantial funds from the rich bankers and wealthy. He is cutting police officer numbers and lost hundreds of millions of pounds of LDA funding that was a source of regeneration funds.

His strategy is now left in tatters as local authorities decimate youth services and close down much needed voluntary sector community resources. Reductions in police officer numbers in the context of rising youth unemployment are likely to see increases in levels of violence not reductions. Communities are becoming increasingly angry and cynical as a result of the continued failures, despite the promise of the Mayor to tackle this issue. I said in the Mayoral elections of 2008 that the Mayor should avoid trying to make political capital out of the tragedy of youth violence; sadly he did not heed that advice. I stated that if he did then this issue would come back to haunt him and it looks like Boris is about to get hoisted with his own petard. The sky is dark with chickens coming home to roost.

(Updated 14th July 2011)

 Boris Johnson visits Brixton Road Youth Centre in Lambeth in 2008