Enfield’s police have all the resources they have asked for, according to the Home Secretary, but Labour says officer numbers have fallen
Enfield’s most senior police officer says he has got the extra resources he asked for, Amber Rudd told Haber this week.
The Home Secretary held a meeting with Iain Raphael, the borough commander, and the Conservative parliamentary candidate for Enfield North Nick de Bois to discuss knife crime on Monday.
It came following the fatal stabbing of 18-year-old Joao Gomes earlier this month.
“We did ask him [the borough commander] about resources and he said he was getting the right resources,” Ms Rudd told Haber in an interview on Monday.
“I find that police are not slow in coming forward usually if they’ve got concerns. And what he’s been given is additional support because he’s got a particular issue here in Enfield and it’s right that he does because violent crime is a priority for the commissioner to deal with and of course knife crime is at the top of that. So I believe he is getting the support.”
Ms Rudd said they discussed early intervention and the work of Yvonne Lawson, whose son died in a stabbing seven years ago, giving talks to young people in local schools.
Mr de Bois has raised concerns that a law to combat knife crime that he helped push through parliament when he was an MP between 2010 and 2015 is not being fully implemented by judges.
Amber Rudd said she would look into the matter if Mr de Bois is elected next month.
“Sentencing is set by the sentencing council, the guidelines of which the UK parliament has put into place. Nick had a huge influence in changing the law so if it’s a repeat offender you are supposed to get a custodial sentence,” she said.
“If he’s back after June the 8th I will take the opportunity to look further with him at this. He’s right, it is vastly improved on what it was, there’s always going to be more to do.”
But Joan Ryan, the Labour candidate for the Enfield North seat, responded to the Home Secretary’s visit by saying the Conservatives had reduced police numbers on the streets.
“The law on jailing offenders for a second offence is no use if we haven’t got enough police to enforce it, and sadly it is a matter of record that it has failed to stop the knife crime we have seen in Enfield,” Ms Ryan said in a statement.
“Since the Conservatives got into Government violent crime in Enfield has increased by a shocking 70%, after falling year-in, year-out after Labour set up Neighbourhood Police teams.
“We all know the horrific consequences of knife crime and we are all working to stop young people carrying knives, but Theresa May has not given the police the support they need.”
