Former Gang Member Warns More Police Will Not Resolve Drug-Fuelled Knife Crime
12 January 2019, 16:35
A former gang member tells Andrew Pierce that there is no point putting extra police on the street, because for every person put into jail there is "100 more" waiting to step into their shoes.
Josh described young children as becoming 'trapped' within gangs, being used to sell drugs for older gang members.
He told Andrew Pierce: "Speaking as an ex-gang member, we want your child, if you live in a deprived area, we will get them. And they will sell drugs for us.
"Because the people who are supposed to protect them are the police, and these gangs come from communities that do not trust the police.
"Put more police officers on the street, it doesn't make a difference".
His comments come after a 14-year-old was stabbed to death in London in what police believe was a targeted attack.
Jaden Moodie was knocked off a moped before being stabbed had moved to London for a "new start" and "wanted to go down the construction, painting and decorating route", a youth worker said.
During Speak to Sadiq, LBC presenter James O'Brien told the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan that "whatever the police are doing it isn't working. Violent crime is going up, people are burying their children."
The Mayor responded by saying: "The first four months of last year there was a huge increase in the numbers of homocide.
"The numbers of under 25's who have suffered knife injuries is going down. That bodes well in relation to some of the things police are doing is working."
