Greater police presence on our high streets is something many of my constituents have contacted me about in recent weeks.
Imagine seeing your neighbour, standing outside his corner shop, stabbed in the chest. Stabbed because he confronted a shoplifter. That is what a resident of Kilburn witnessed last month, and she will never forget it.
For nine years, I was the MP for Hampstead and Kilburn. Whenever I visited the High Road, I was always struck by the sense of pride the community had for their home.
And quite right too. With the award-winning Kiln theatre, thriving Irish and Somali communities, incredible hospitality at the Sir Colin Campbell Pub, delicious Afghan food at the Ariana and community festivals in Kilburn Grange Park, Kilburn has so much to offer.
However, in the last two weeks alone, there have been six stabbings in the area and local people are living in fear. One local business told me “it doesn’t feel like Kilburn anymore”.
This is a part of London renowned for its multiculturalism, tolerance and for being a place of refuge for the world’s most vulnerable people. So, to hear those words from my constituent was heart-breaking.
Knife crime doesn’t just affect us physically; it undermines community spirit. People won’t visit Kilburn if they feel unsafe.
I recently met with the team at One Kilburn and thanked them for their work to bring community together in the aftermath of this violence. I also met with local police to raise the concerns of my constituents directly. My thoughts are with those affected by these terrible incidents and I will continue to work closely with the police in the coming weeks.
I am pleased that there will be an increased presence of Community Safety Officers in the area to provide reassurance over the coming weeks. However, this must not be a short-term measure. Local business will continue to close their doors and residents will stay away from the high street, until they feel safe.
Last week, I gave a speech in Parliament about why the Government’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee could not come sooner for my constituents. I asked for an assurance from the Policing Minister that the funding for this scheme will be protected
