London violence: Met Police commissioner Cressida Dick denies capital is facing ‘crisis’

Metropolitan Police commissioner Cressida Dick has denied there is a “crisis” of violent crime in London amid a spate of stabbings and shootings.

The head of the capital’s police force told Sky News she is “really concerned” about recent deaths and admitted London has experienced a “bad three months” in terms of murders.

But, Commissioner Dick expressed her hope Scotland Yard would soon reduce the bloodshed as she confirmed 300 extra officers a day will be deployed in London over the weekend.

Since the turn of the year, Sky News has identified 51 people who are suspected to have been deliberately killed in the capital amid a spate of stabbings and shootings, with two teenagers left injured in the latest knife attack at the Whitgift Shopping Centre in Croydon on Friday evening.

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The violence has seen London’s rate of suspected murders overtake New York’s, prompting international headlines and a close inspection of efforts to combat crime.

However, in an interview with Sky News, commissioner Dick suggested Londoners should wait until the end of 2018 before comparing the two cities.

She claimed London had suffered “a particularly bad couple of months” while it had been “a particularly good couple of months for New York”.

“If you compared us with say Baltimore or some other cities – ten times, twenty times, fifty times the homicide rate,” Commissioner Dick said.

“I need to learn from the rest of the world but I need to concentrate on London and that’s what we’re doing.

“We’ve got 300 officers a day extra out over this weekend.

“We will be using every tactic we know in the coming weeks and months to bear down on knife crime and to reduce the number of homicides.”

Despite the “horrible, horrible” spate of deaths, many involving young Londoners, commissioner Dick rejected suggestions of a “crisis”.

“We need to reduce the number, particularly the number of young people, who are dying in street attacks,” she said.

“Ferocious violence used by other young people in groups – usually, not quite always – is associated with street drug-dealing.

“This is a very particular problem, which has sort of caused the rate of homicide to rise.

“That’s the problem we need to deal with. The police can’t do that alone, we need help from Government, local government and other agencies and, most particularly, from the public.”

Commissioner Dick said she does not feel the Met Police are overexposed in dealing with violent crime, but added it is “a long-term problem which requires concerted long-term effort”.

Greater use of stop-and-search and continuing work with schools and local communities to turn young people from crime will be among efforts to tackle the problem, the head of Scotland Yard said.

Commissioner Dick revealed weapons seizures and weapons searches have increased and added she is “pleased” people are now asking how they can help combat violence.

Amid a political row over London’s recent spate of killings, commissioner Dick claimed she is “always” concerned about the number of officers on the capital’s streets but insisted it is not the only method for tackling the issue.

She hailed an extra £112m handed to the Met Police by London mayor Sadiq Khan, which will be invested in the fight against knife crime, but commissioner Dick signalled she will be asking for more cash if she feels Scotland Yard “cannot get on top of this problem”.

She added: “Of course, I would always want more people and I’ve inherited less than my predecessor started with, that is for sure.

“But, it’s also my job to prioritise and to make sure we have the right people in the right places, targeting the most violent people, providing reassurance, and that’s what we’ll be doing.”

(c) Sky News 2018: London violence: Met Police commissioner Cressida Dick denies capital is facing ‘crisis’