New Luton council leader vows to tackle root causes of knife crime
Cllr Amjid Ali took over the authority earlier this week
Luton’s new council leader has pledged to tackle the root causes of knife crime by intervening earlier when young people show signs of becoming involved in gangs or the drugs trade.
Liberal Democrat councillor Amjid Ali said tackling crime was one of his top priorities after his party took control of Luton Borough Council, ending almost 20 years of Labour leadership.
Speaking after taking office, Cllr Ali said Luton had been making “almost national news” several times a year because of knife crime.
He said the new administration wanted to work with police and council officers to prevent problems before they developed into serious offences.
“It's about linking everything together,” he said.
“What are the early signs of someone being involved in any gangs? What are the early signs of being someone being involved in the drugs trade, which generally is where the knife crime generates from?”
Cllr Ali said intervention needed to happen “at an earlier age or at an earlier level”, with education and social services potentially identifying warning signs.
He said those “red flags” could otherwise go unattended before eventually becoming linked to criminal activity.
“If those red flags are not attended to, then that generally, maybe a year, two years down the line, will generate into a crime report,” he said.
“That’s where we really want to take that leadership and focus on those kind of things.”
Youth services
Cllr Ali also said youth services would be an important part of his approach to prevention.
Asked whether he would consider investing in youth services to help tackle knife crime, he replied: “Absolutely.”
He said the council was currently going through an “in-year transition” and the new administration first needed to understand its financial position.
However, he added: “Rest assured though, that is top of the agenda.”
“Youth services is part and parcel of prevention,” he said.
“We need to get our youngsters off the streets and we need to get them away from these drug lords and make sure that, you know, that they’ve got a better life and they can see a better future for themselves.”