Preventing gang crime

Our Community Gangs Team (CGT) works in partnership to support people involved in gang violence or those at risk of getting involved. We focus on prevention, diversion and enforcement if needed.

Our approach to tackling gang issues

Our CGT, built on trust, treats violence as a preventable public health issue. They aim to prevent violence by diverting at-risk individuals from becoming victims or perpetrators. The team supports people involved in gang crime to leave that lifestyle. If necessary, they enforce against those committing violent crimes.

The team works with individuals, families, and the community. They identify ways to reduce violence and create a safer Hackney. They bring together the police, council, and partners to divert at-risk individuals from gangs. They work with the shared aim of tackling gang-related violence.

At any one time, the team works with around 150 people involved in gangs to support them to change their behaviour. The majority are adults, with over 18-year-olds forming about 2/3 of the caseload. About a third are in custody. The team also works with those on the periphery of gangs to divert them away from gang involvement.

They follow the council’s public health approach towards tackling violent crime. This approach has achieved success in areas where it has addressed the underlying causes of violence. This includes participation in Hackney’s Extra-Familial Risk Panel. The panel intervenes in cases where a young person is at risk of harm outside the home.

Those intent on causing harm to others face enforcement action where necessary. However, the team’s central focus is on early detection and prevention. They’re not about delivering soft justice but smart justice. Smart justice works to tackle gang violence by addressing factors that put adults and young people at risk of joining gangs.

For more information, view the Mandeville and Surrounding Street Project article by Middlesex University (google doc).

Our Community Gangs Team (CGT)

Our Community Gangs Team (CGT) includes:

Council staff

Employed directly by us are key members of the CGT, including:

CGT Delivery Manager
Gangs and Community Programme Management Coordinator
CGT Analyst
CGT Researcher

Additionally, we employ a Community Gangs Coordinator and Community Gangs Worker to provide community support. They do this through:

outreach
empowerment
sharing information on gang-related issues
offering one-to-one mentoring for a limited caseload of young individuals

Youth Offending Team (YOT)

The Youth Offending Team (YOT) members, integrated into the CGT, work with young people and parents/carers to break the cycle of gang involvement.

Probation Officers

The CGT has two dedicated Probation Officers who hold cases for people aged over 18. Work often starts earlier if the individual is in custody. The officers supervise offenders on licence or community orders. They offer a more community-based service than the National Probation Service normally would. They provide a lot of support with housing, healthcare, education and employment. If individuals need extra help, they will also work with them beyond statutory terms.

Metropolitan Police Service

The CGT includes a team from the Metropolitan Police Service. It consists of one sergeant and eight police constables (PCs).

Community Engagement Adviser

The Department of Work and Pensions assigns a Community Engagement Adviser to the CGT. The adviser provides employment, training, and education advice. They also offer opportunities and intensive support.

St Giles Trust

Embedded within the CGT St Giles Trust provides one-to-one sessions to 30 to 40 people. They offer support, training, and education to prevent offending.

Mentivation Services

Mentivation Services is a mentoring, motivation, and mediation service. It works one-to-one with young people experiencing difficulty in education, the community, or at home. They also offer the Fix Up programme, which delivers workshops in schools. They provide diversionary activities such as football coaching and music sessions.

The Crib’s Parents Voice Project

Supported by the CGT, The Crib’s Parents Voice Project brings together parents worried that their children are at risk of becoming involved in gangs. The sessions are free. Professionals from the Integrated Gangs Unit, Hackney MIND, and the council’s domestic violence team are present to help parents recognise the signs of gang involvement. They also give advice on how to support their children to avoid getting involved with gangs.

Empower Safer London

Embedded within the CGT, Empower Safer London offers one-to-one support to hundreds of young people across the capital every year. These young people have experienced sexual exploitation associated with gangs or are showing harmful sexual behaviour. They give young people a safe and confidential space to talk about their experiences.

If you’re worried about a child or young person

If you’re concerned about any child or young person living in Hackney, contact our Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) for advice and guidance.

Page updated on: 12 November 2024