In a meeting with Joan Ryan MP, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner said tackling rising youth violence in Enfield is a top priority and have committed to maintaining the deployment of extra police officers to the Borough to help make streets safer.

Ms Ryan, Cressida Dick and Sir Steve House met in Parliament on Tuesday 9 January, after the latest publication of the Met’s crime statistics revealed that Enfield has the highest serious youth violence rate in London – up almost 9% in the year to November 2018.

They discussed the development of the Enfield and Haringey Knife Crime and Serious Youth Violence Action Plan and the on-going deployment of additional police officers to Enfield from the Met Police’s Violent Crime Taskforce and the Territorial Support Group, following a series of violent incidents in November 2018.

Joan Ryan raised serious concerns regarding the pressure the Government has put on the Met Police’s budget – an £850 million cut since 2010 – resulting in the loss of 3,000 police officers and 3,000 police community support officers (PCSOs) across London, including 97 officers and 144 PCSOs from Enfield.

Cressida Dick said the Met Police is working hard to recruit and train new officers and protect frontline numbers, but all their efforts come against a backdrop of a further £263 million cut they are expected to have to make by 2022-23.
Ms Ryan is challenging Government Ministers to give local police the funding they need to safeguard Enfield’s streets.

Commenting on the meeting with the Met Police, Joan Ryan MP said: “Enfield’s residents have the right to feel safe and be safe in their home and in our neighbourhoods.

The rise in serious youth violence is very concerning, so I was pleased to meet the Met’s Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner to consider the measures that can be taken to address this matter urgently.
The police are doing a good job, under very difficult circumstances, but it’s clear from the Government’s staggering cuts to the police budget that Ministers are reducing the priority they place on keeping our young people and our communities safe.

I am seeking a parliamentary debate on these issues to hold the Government to account for their abdication of responsibility on public safety.”