One of Scotland Yard’s most senior officers has called on Londoners to “pull together” to tackle knife crime after the new year period saw four young men stabbed to death in separate attacks.
Sir Craig Mackey, the Metropolitan police deputy commissioner, said tackling serious violence and knife crime in the capital remained the top priority for the force after the recent killings pushed the total number of fatal stabbings in London to 80 in 2017 alone.
The attacks – three on New Year’s Eve and a fourth on New Year’s Day – were all unrelated and occurred within a 15-hour period at locations in north, east and south London.
“This number of violent deaths in any 24-hour period is highly unusual, and detectives are working around the clock to bring those responsible to justice,” Mackey said. “Tackling serious violence and knife crime in London remains a number one priority for the Met, but Londoners need to pull together to tackle this issue.”
Mackey said Met officers were trying to reduce knife crime with tools such as community weapon sweeps, engagement with schools and proactive operations.
“We need to find out why some young people think it is acceptable to carry knives, and this is where community organisations and local initiatives, charities, schools and educators, youth workers and families all have an important role to play in changing this mindset,” he added.
“We can all do more to protect young people, and I would urge anybody who has information about those engaged in violent crime to speak to police. Your call could help save a life.”
The first of the most recent spate of attacks was at 11.30am on 31 December when an 18-year-old man was stabbed in Enfield. He died in hospital that evening.
At about 7.30pm, a 20-year-old man was fatally stabbed in West Ham, and at about 10.40pm a 17-year-old boy was stabbed to death in Tulse Hill.
The fourth stabbing happened at 2.30am on 1 January, when a 20-year-old man was attacked at a house party in Bartholomew Court, Islington. A second man, aged in his 20s, was taken to hospital with critical stab injuries.
Five men were arrested in connection to the Enfield killing and a 20-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder at the house party in Islington.
