The Network builds on the good practice and willingness to work in partnership across orginal five London boroughs and it is this readiness to work together that has led the group to be the focus for piloting new tactics against serious violence.

The programme brings together the expertise of partners including the Metropolitan Police Service and councils within Croydon, Greenwich, Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark and now Walham Forest, the Home Office, the Probation Service, local Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships and Victim Support London.

A range of new and existing initiatives to prevent gang-related offending have been piloted and co-ordinated across the five boroughs, including:

• Best practice hubs: An on-going series of themed events designed to create and maintain mechanisms for the sharing of best practice between partners and between boroughs. The events are also designed to improve networking between individuals working in similar areas either on different boroughs or within different partners. The most recent event was hosted by Lewisham Borough on the subject of Restorative Justice.
• A programme of multi agency practitioner training including guidance on identifying those at risk, signposting and how best to support those in need;
• GATES – A texting and advisory service for young people and their families at risk from gangs;
• A survey of key opinion formers influencing the original 5 Boroughs to establish their understanding of statistics and drivers around youth crime in order to inform the communications strategy;
• A series of parents and families events across the original 5 Boroughs promoting the work of both statutory and voluntary organisations tackling and preventing violent crime.

What was originally The Five Boroughs’ Alliance has historically been funded by the Home Office and has been identified because of the established effective relationships that exist in the Alliance between the key agencies and communities. The excellent partnership working and joint agency infrastructure already in place across the Boroughs is seen as conducive to piloting new ways of working in relation to serious youth violence.

Clearly this is an issue for every London borough, and is by no means an isolated problem in south London, indeed the Alliance is looking to grow to increase the sharing of good practice with other boroughs. Policing operations by the MPS to tackle serious youth violence, including that involving gangs, will continue under Operation Blunt 2 across all London Boroughs.