HACKNEY YOUNGSTERS LEARN ABOUT THE DANGERS OF GUN AND KNIFE CRIME

Press Release – Monday 22 June 2009

HACKNEY YOUNGSTERS LEARN ABOUT THE DANGERS OF GUN AND KNIFE CRIME
Specialist firearms command talk at Haggerston School.

Haggerston School was the setting as Hackney youngsters learnt about the dangers of gun and knife crime and gang affiliation from the Metropolitan Police’s CO19 Specialist Firearm Command - the branch of the Metropolitan Police Service that provides firearms-related support to its unarmed colleagues.

The youngsters aged between 10-16 years old regularly attend the Leyton Orient Community Sports Programme (LOCSP) Kickz sessions at the school, but took a break from football to participate in a presentation and group discussion aimed at increasing the youngsters’ knowledge about gun and knife crime, whilst diverting them and their friends away from possible involvement in such crime.

Sergeant Paul Young from CO19 showed footage from a recent Sky TV News documentary about the unit and the various scenarios it faces before discussing each scenario with the youngsters, their coach - LOCSP Hackney Development Officer Yassin Abidou and local PC Joy Sivaji.

Sergeant Young also discussed both the consequences and sentencing outcomes associated with gun and knife crime before taking a variety of questions from the inquisitive group.

Sergeant Paul Young, CO19, Specialist Firearms Command said:
“The presentation is part of the CO19 initiative ‘Operation Makepeace’ which started in January and aims to divert people away from guns, knives and gangs.

“We feel it is important to be pro-active and engage with our community.

“We want to go out and teach youngsters about the consequences of gun and knife crime and gang affiliation so we can divert them away from it.

“We are here to send an important message and the youngsters here today asked good, direct questions - it was a really good group to present to, normally we find one or two ask questions in a group but this group had five, six, seven asking different questions.

“I feel that the information discussed has really been taken in and I hope everyone got something out of it.”

Yassin Abidou, LOCSP Hackney Development Officer said:
“Unfortunately some people in London can be exposed to crime at a young age so it is paramount for them to understand what the law says about gun and knife crime.

“When you ask any young person why people carry knives they will say it is for protection but Sergeant Young highlighted and explained the downfalls about this in a really eye-opening way.

“Hopefully this workshop can act as a deterrent; we are not here just to solely deliver sport – we are here to deter young people away from bad factors in their lives where possible, using sport as the ‘hook’ to get them interested.

“I was proud of my lads today. They are young, but asked some very incisive questions. They attended the workshop in their own time and sat down and concentrated on what Sergeant Young was saying.

“You could clearly see that it had an effect on them and they really took in the answers to their questions.

“I like to keep them on their toes by continually refreshing and stimulating their minds through workshops like this and, of course, the sport and activities.”

LOCSP Kickz sessions in Hackney run at Mabley Green on Tuesdays and Thursday, Gascoyne Estate Hardcourt on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays and Haggerston School on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

For more information about LOCSP sessions in Hackney please contact Yassin Abidou, LOCSP Hackney Development Officer on 020 8556 5973, email yassin.abidou@locsp.org or visit the LOCSP website at http://www.locsp.org/ or www.locsp.org/pdf/pdf_hkickz.pdf.


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Notes to Editors
For photos and further information about this story please contact: Andrew McSteen, LOCSP Communications Officer on 020 8556 5973, email andrew.mcsteen@locsp.org or visit http://www.locsp.org/

· The award-winning Kickz is a groundbreaking football project partnership between the Premier League, Football Foundation and the Metropolitan Police and is aimed at engaging young people in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the country. For further information on the Kickz Programme visit their website at: www.footballfoundation.org.uk/kickz

· For further information about CO19 please visit their website at: http://www.met.police.uk/co19/

· Named 'Community Club of the Year' at the 2009 Football League Awards, LEYTON ORIENT COMMUNITY SPORTS PROGRAMME (LOCSP) exists to help young people develop the skills and confidence to succeed in their lives, with our core work taking place in the six London boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Newham, Redbridge, Barking & Dagenham and Hackney - a total combined population of over 1.3 million people.Established in May 1989 by Leyton Orient Football Club and the London Borough of Waltham Forest, LOCSP started with 150 young people a week and now provides over 4,500 sporting and educational participation and engagement opportunities every week for young people across London - equating to 225,000 a year.LOCSP has invested £5.5 million in the east London community since 1998 and work with some of the most challenging young people, jointly confronting difficult issues including racism, sexism, lack of cultural awareness, crime, unemployment, lack of education and training and ageism. Watch our video - CLICK HERE!

· Leyton Orient Community Sports Programme runs Kickz sessions in the four east London boroughs of Waltham Forest (Tom Hood School, Kelmscott Leisure Centre, Thomas Gamuel Park), Redbridge (Hainault Youth Centre), Tower Hamlets (Ian Mikardo School, Devons Road) and Hackney (Mabley Green, Gascoyne Estate, Haggerston Girls School)