First action plan on gangs puts Lambeth at heart of the solution

Lambeth Council is leading the charge against gang activity among young people after becoming one of the first boroughs to have a dedicated five-year action plan to target the issue.

The Young and Safe Action Plan, approved by the Lambeth Council Cabinet on 28 July, was created because of rising concerns around young people getting involved in gangs and violence.

The plan is being led by the council and the Police and includes: 

• increased investment of more than £2 million in youth programmes 
• increased parenting classes and a possible 'hotline' for parents who are concerned about their children
• a specialist outreach team to work with hard to reach young people 
• extended opening for youth centres, particularly at evenings and weekends a new intelligence gathering unit with the police 
• a network of police officers to support primary schools 
• extension of Lambeth programmes, including X-it and PAYP, which have already been successful at keeping young people from getting back into crime 
• measures to help those not in training, education or employment to move into the workplace and get skills to set them up for life

In creating the action plan the council conducted extensive consultation with police and the community and also established a commission to investigate the causes of violent youth crime and to plan a way forward based on the evidence.

One of the most extensive research into the problem ever seen in the UK, this included interviews with young people in and out of gang membership and was carried out by Professor John Pitt.

A crackdown on drug dealers and street dealing is already underway in Lambeth, with the launch of Lambeth Council's policy to publicise those who come to the area to buy drugs.