Mayor of London warns cost of living could cause spike in violent crime

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has warned that while violent crimes have been reducing in the capital since last year, this could increase again due to the cost of living crisis.

The Mayor has been tackling knife crime and violence affecting young people in London after it reached record levels in 2021.

Knife crime has now fallen by 7%, gun crime by 18% and the number of teenagers murdered in London reduced by 64% in the first five months of 2022.

However, Mr Khan is concerned that rising prices will exacerbate poverty, deprivation and a lack of opportunities for young Londoners, causing them to turn to crime.

He said: ‘Tackling violence and making our city safer is my number one priority. In London, we’ve been tackling violent crime head on by being both tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime. This has resulted in violent crime falling since before the pandemic. 

‘But the level of violence remains far too high. One death is one too many, with every death leaving lives destroyed, communities hurting and families heartbroken. I’m determined to build on the progress we have made, but we must acknowledge that the spiralling cost of living could make things even more challenging and even risks taking us backwards.    

‘That’s why I’m working closely with the police and community groups across London to provide them with the resources they need. It’s why I’m investing record amounts in initiatives to support young Londoners at critical stages in their lives. And it’s why I’m doing all I can to support Londoners through the cost of living crisis, while calling on the Government to take much bolder action.’

Analysis by City Hall has revealed how causes of violence correlate with deprivation and poverty, with six of 10 boroughs experiencing the highest unemployment rates also in the top 10 boroughs for violence.

A report by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime also highlighted research which shows a relationship between increasing unemployment rates and rises in crime, particularly property crime.

Mr Khan has re-committed to working closely with the Met Police and partners to reduce crime, having provided £1bn in funding since taking office in 2016.

The Mayor has previously established the Met’s Violent Crime Taskforce to target dangerous offenders and set up the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) in 2019 to prevent violence through early intervention.

The VRU invests in programmes to provide guidance, activities and opportunities to more than 70,000 young people and is tackling school exclusions.

Photo by Ethan Wilkinson