The Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Mark Rowley, has announced a drop in homicide rates and said London is a “fantastically safe” city.
Rowley said: “London is a fantastically safe global city. Of course no city’s perfect, but if you look at crime rates … it’s a safe place to live and work and enjoy yourself.”
The Met said the total number of homicides recorded under Home Office Counting Rules for 2022 was down 17 percent on 2021, to 109.
The number of fatal shootings was nine, a 25 percent fall on the previous year and the lowest figure since 2014.
Among the victims was Kacey Boothe, 25, a member of the London Fields gang, who was shot dead in Walthamstow, northeast London in August. The local MP, Stella Creasy, said the shooting took place outside a community centre where a child’s birthday party was taking place.
Four men have been charged with Boothe’s murder and are due to go on trial in September.
Stabbed With a Zombie Knife Over Mocking Music Video
Among the victims—none of whom were mentioned by name by Rowley—was Tyler Hurley, 16, who was stabbed to death with a zombie knife on a bus in Chadwell Heath, east London.Carlton Tanueh, 18, was jailed for life for murder. The trial heard Hurley had uploaded a music video to YouTube mocking Tanueh’s associates.
While several homicides from 2022 are awaiting trials, a number of them have not resulted in anyone being charged.
Daneche Tison, 26, was shot dead outside a block of flats in Queens Park, northwest London, in July, but so far nobody has been charged with his murder.
While most homicide victims were single murders, one exception was the killing of Samantha Drummonds, 27, her mother Tanysha Drummonds, 45, grandmother Dolet Hill, 64, and Hill’s partner Denton Burke, 68, who were all found stabbed to death at their home in Bermondsey, south London in April.
Joshua Jacques, 28, has admitted manslaughter owing to diminished responsibility but the Crown Prosecution Service has not accepted this plea and he is due to go on trial at the Old Bailey later this year.
Rowley visited a gym in Ilford, east London, on Thursday along with the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and the pair met Stephen Addison, who set up a boxing club to provide “vulnerable young people” with a path away from crime.
The Met has promised to increase high-visibility patrols and boost community policing after recent figures from Ilford showed 36 percent of mugging victims were under 18.
‘Inspirational Stories’
Rowley and Khan were joined by the leader of Redbridge Council, Jas Athwal—who was selected last year to replace local MP Sam Tarry as Labour’s candidate at the next election—as they heard from young people who took up sports and culture to keep away from crime.They included horse-rider Fabian Williams, 18, who is hoping to take make one of Britain’s equestrian teams at the next Olympics, and 24-year-old Elvire Muavusi Matu, who now teaches dance classes.
Rowley said they were “inspirational stories” and he added, “We’re the police, we can suppress violence, we focus as hard as possible on arresting the most dangerous people … but we need partners like this to work with who can grab those kids at the right moment in their life and turn it around and give them purpose.”
Khan said: “We know we cannot arrest our way out of violence and that’s why my Violence Reduction Unit is supporting young Londoners, intervening at critical stages in their lives and providing them with positive opportunities, support, and mentors—particularly during this cost-of-living crisis, so they can succeed and thrive.”
Athwal said: “This visit was a great opportunity to show the new Met commissioner and the mayor of London around Ilford and share the work we are doing to make the town centre safer for our neighbours.”
In October 23-year-old Saydi Abu Sheikh, a drill rapper better known as Giddy, 23, and his cousin, Zakariya Jeilani Mohamed, 32, were shot dead in Ilford. A third man survived. Giddy was a member of the Drillford drill gang and is believed to have been targeted by a rival gang.
Two men—Ayaani Ali Adan, 19, and Ayman Abasheikh, 18, have been charged with murder and will go on trial later this year.
British Transport Police told The Epoch Times the figure of 109 did not include homicides which were investigated by them, such as Tyreece Daley, 22, who was stabbed to death at Beckenham Junction station in south London. Dejon Anaughe, 27, has been charged with murder and is due to go on trial later in the year.
