‘Violent crime wave in London not my fault,’ says Sadiq Khan

LONDON: Amid rising incidents of violence in the city, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has defended the crime spree, saying he has done nothing wrong.

There have been 62 murders in the capital this year – with knives used for 39 of the deaths and guns involved 10 times.

The mayor of London has faced criticism for his response to the rise in attacks, but has now defended his record. Mr Khan told LBC: ‘I don’t think we have done anything wrong in London. ‘Nor do I think, by the way, the police and crime commissioners across the country have done much wrong.’

In the first three months of this year 45 murders were recorded, compared to 23 in the first quarter of 2017. But Mr Khan said the situation would be worse were it not for his initiatives in the capital.

He said: ‘I think things would be worse if we didn’t invest the new money we invested in this year and last year.’ Mr Khan accepted responsibility for policing in the capital, and said all sectors of society must work together to tackle serious crime. He said: ‘We should not think that it’s OK for there just to be one stabbing rather than three.

‘We have got to make sure we stop young people thinking it’s OK to carry a knife, or that that gives them a sense of belonging or respect. ‘That means investing in young people.

‘I’m determined to do what I can to invest in prevention and also in enforcement.’ Tory MP, and party vice chairman for London, Paul Scully said: ‘Sadiq Khan needs to take action on violent crime for the safety of Londoners. ‘As the Mayor of London he has direct responsibility – and the powers – to tackle violent crime in our city.’