Last year was one of bloodshed in the capital. Thirty teenagers were killed, breaking an unwanted record of teen homicides set in 2008. And last night tragically saw the first of 2022, when an 18-year-old was stabbed to death in Enfield.
When Met Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick took charge in 2017, she made tackling violent crime her top priority. Amid a range of investigations into police culture, ending the scourge of teen deaths must not be sidelined.
Scotland Yard can point to some successes. Its own statistics from 2021 compared with 2019 show decreases in violent crime, with homicides falling by 13 per cent and knife crime by 32 per cent.
But when it comes to teen homicides, this year cannot be like the last. All Londoners, regardless of background or postcode, are entitled to live in a city in which they are safe.
Bring back tourists
London is bouncing back, but the recovery can appear doughnut-shaped. While outer boroughs are busy, central parts of the city remain conspicuously quiet.
This can, in part, be attributed to the continued absence of international tourists. In 2019, 21 million visits were made to the capital, with total visitor spend exceeding £2.1 billion. These figures collapsed during the pandemic.
The Mayor’s £6 million Let’s Do London campaign was credited with helping to draw domestic visitors to the capital. Some 280,000 visited last summer, adding an estimated £70 million to the city’s economy.
So we welcome Sadiq Khan’s planned campaign to lure back international travellers. With world-class hospitality, entertainment and the small matter of a Platinum Jubilee this year, there is plenty to draw the punters in.
