Hackney locals are to discuss gun and knife crime Pic: The Ethnic Minority Forum of Hackney Labour
Gun and knife crime concerns will be discussed at a public meeting at St Matthias Halls, Hackney, where residents have the chance to propose solutions.
The Ethnic Minority Forum of Hackney Labour will host their first public meeting on May 19 to address issues surrounding gun and knife crime with a panel of youth project workers, mentors and a Hackney council member.
This includes Caroline Selman, Hackney Council Cabinet member for Community Safety and Enforcement.
Feedback will be collected to form a proposal that will be sent to Selman and Hackney council.
Kofo David, event organiser and Ethnic Minority Officer for Hackney Labour Party told EastLondonlines: “It’s about time we got into the community to listen to what people are saying. What we want to do is reach out to everyone in Hackney and host a public meeting to find out what the community think the problems are and move towards a solution.
“We expect a range of options in terms of what youth clubs and support organisations could be doing.”
The views will feed into a strategy of how to fund anti-knife crime projects supported by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s £45m London budget to tackle violence.
Hackney projects to receive funding include The Crib and StreetDoctors; a project that educates young people about the risks of knife crime while providing lifesaving skills.
The proposal also plans to include an accessible list of services available to everyone affected by gun and knife crime, a source David says to be lacking within council directories.
The first section will consist of a Question-Time-style discussion with answers from the panel, followed by a selection of workshops which involve the audience making a list of problems alongside their possible solutions with support from the panellists.
The full list of panellists is as follows:
Caroline Selman– Hackney Council Cabinet member for Community Safety and Enforcement
Elijah Mochia– Youth Champion at Hackney CVS
Janette Collins– from the CRIB Youth Project
Leroy Logan MBE– former police Chief Inspector
Ola Ajose– with lived experience and now a mentor
Taz Adia– Youth Leader at North London Muslim Community Centre
Hackney Labour’s Ethnic Minority Forum’s public meeting on gun and knife crime takes place on May 19 at St Matthias Halls.
Book a free ticket to the event here.
