MPS adviser removed as Trident marks first anniversary success

Gang-related crime in London is dropping, according to figures released on the first anniversary of the Metropolitan Police Service’s (MPS) specialist unit, but the chair of its independent advisory group (IAG) claims she has been removed from the post for criticising police chiefs.

Since the Trident Gang Crime Command was set up on February 8 last year, the MPS has reported serious youth crime falling by 28 per cent, with knife injuries in under 25s falling by the same rate. There were also 77 fewer shootings, representing an 18 per cent drop.

Trident officers have arrested more than 4,000 people targeting gang-related crimes since April 2012, with 561 of the ‘top 2000’ gang members in prison as of January 21 this year and 16 life sentences resulting from Trident arrests. The unit has also recovered significant quantities of weapons and ammunition, in addition to conducting 600 school visits and working with local community agencies on crime prevention measures.

Detective Chief Superintendent Dean Haydon, head of Trident Gang Crime Command, hailed the results, claiming the “exceptional reductions” showed the MPS’ commitment to tackling gang-related violence.

Steve Rodhouse, commander with the MPS, said: “Our new approach is clearly working and we are now seeing reductions across all gang-related crime types.

“However we recognise that there is much more to be done and recent tragic events demonstrate that we cannot afford to be complacent. We do not underestimate the importance of working with other agencies across London; Trident and the MPS as a whole are committed to working with our partners and community groups to achieve a meaningful and long term impact on the causes of gang violence.”

Stephen Greenhalgh, Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, said Trident’s results were an example of the “real progress” being made to tackle gang crime, adding the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) was working on “effective new programmes” to prevent young people joining gangs.

However, outgoing Trident IAG chair Claudia Webbe said changes to the advisory body, ostensibly to better reflect the communities it serves, are aimed at silencing criticism over issues such as the use of Tasers and diversity in the force, which could damage the unit’s effectiveness. She said officers were seeking to “handpick individuals” to monitor the force’s work, “removing all notion of independence”, and described the reorganisation as a “backward step” in race relations.

An MPS statement said: “Building effective relationships with the communities most affected by gun crime has been at the core of Trident’s response. Although Trident`s remit has since changed – the Trident Gang Crime Command now leads the MPS response to tackling gang-related crime and associated violence, with additional responsibility for the prevention and investigation of all shootings in London, regardless of the victim`s background – community engagement remains at the core of Trident and as such our IAG continues to play a fundamental part in how we engage with London’s communities.”