Don't mention the Routemaster (From News Shopper)

Don't mention the Routemaster

3:37pm Friday 30th May 2008

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At a knife crime summit at City Hall today, Deputy Mayor for Young People met with the families of victims of violence.

The idea of the meeting was to share knowledge and methods for tackling the problem.

Mayor Boris Johnson has tasked Ray Lewis and Kit Malthouse with the unenviable job of finding a solution to youth violence in the capital.

Apart from a short piece on the BBC website, which did not include any details of when the summit was taking place, the event was not widely trailed in the media.

When I tried to contact the Mayor’s press office this morning for details about it there was no-one on the other end of the phone.

Maybe they had been all been given the day off - it is Friday after all.

Or maybe the media are being kept at arms length for the benefit of the victims’ families who attended.

Someone must have been around by lunchtime though because a press statement had appeared on the website on behalf of Mr Lewis.

He promised more stop and search and prosecutions for everyone found carrying knives.

It is what most people want to hear.

Let’s hope bothersome economic reality doesn’t get in the way - don’t mention the Routemaster - or the pressure on magistrates’ courts, shortage of prison spaces, police targets.

Thanks to the press officer who was not having a day off I can tell you that Mr Lewis said: “Today’s summit is about listening and learning from people directly affected by knife and gun crime.

“These horrific crimes devastate families and we need to all work together on the necessary ways to treat the profound contempt for society and lack of self-respect that has alarmingly developed in some of our young people.

“The Mayor’s office is committed to putting in place measures needed to restore young people’s sense of hope and engagement.”