HOME OFFICE News
Release (154/2008) issued by COI News Distribution Service. 2
September 2008
New advice for
parents on preventing their children from becoming involved in
gangs was published today as Home Secretary Jacqui Smith attended
the launch of the New Year Shooting Memorial Trust in the West Midlands.
The eight-page booklet details practical steps parents and carers
can take if they suspect their child may be involved with gangs
and who to contact for help and support. It was developed with the
help of the Association of Chief Police Officers, local
authorities, parenting organisations like the Family and Parenting
Institute and community groups such as Mothers Against Violence.
The Home Secretary attended the launch of the New Year Shooting
(NYS) Memorial Trust, a victim support charity set up by Beverley
Thomas and Marcia Shakespeare in memory of their daughters who
died after a drive-by shooting in 2003.
The NYS Memorial Trust will offer support to families and young
people affected by violent crime along with a programme of
preventative measures that includes education, motivation and
activities to aid employment opportunities.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said:
"All parents worry about keeping their children safe - and
need support to help them to do it. They need to know how to spot
if their child is involved in a gang and where to turn if they are
concerned. We have worked with police, local authorities and
parenting and community groups to make sure the booklet is a
useful addition in the fight against violent crime.
"The New Year Shooting Memorial Trust is also providing help
for the West Midlands community by giving individuals and families
affected by gun and gang related crime vital support to lessen the
suffering. This is just as important as strong enforcement action
by the police because we can only win the battle if we all work together."
The "Gangs: You and Your Child" booklet is available on
the Direct.Gov website and 30,000 copies are initially being
distributed in the areas involved in the Tackling Gangs Action
Programme - London, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham.
Earlier in the day, the Home Secretary was given a demonstration
at Snow Hill train station of how search arches are being used to
find weapons by West Midlands Police. The nine arches and 220
wands have been provided by funding from the Tackling Knives
Action Programme.
Chief Inspector Kevin Doyle from West Midlands Police said:
"Today is about showing the public a piece of equipment that
is now available to us and explaining how they can expect to see
it in wider use in the future.
"By demonstrating how the safety arches work I hope to
reassure the law abiding public that there is nothing to fear from
them, and to send a strong message to those who may carry knives.
That message is quite simple; carrying a knife is a choice, if you
make the wrong choice you can expect to be caught."
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. "Gangs: You and Your Child" can be found at http://www.direct.gov.uk/gangs
2. In June 2008, the Home Secretary outlined plans to focus a
programme of action on knife crime hotspots and announced an
initial investment of £2 million. This built on the success of the
Tackling Gangs Action Programme which ran from September 2007
until February 2008.
3. The ten areas taking part in the Tackling Knives Action
Programme are London, Essex, Lancashire, West Yorkshire,
Merseyside, the West Midlands, Greater Manchester,
Nottinghamshire, South Wales and Thames Valley.
4. On 13 July 2008 the Home Secretary announced that the
Association of Chief Police Officers lead on knife crime, Deputy
Assistant Commissioner Alf Hitchcock (Metropolitan Police Service)
would head up the new Tackling Knives Action Programme.
5. The Programme, which will run until March 2009, is delivering
tough enforcement combined with education, prevention work and
information campaigns designed to keep youngsters on the right track.