Beneath the vibrancy of Westfield Shopping centre and the convenience of the DLR lies a sinister reality in the vibrant borough of Newham, whose motto “Progress with the People” represents the diversity and assortment of this community.
The darkened reality is the numbing horror that the borough of Newham has had the highest murder rate in the capital within the last year.
According to the latest Scotland Yard figures, thirteen people were murdered in the east London borough between April 2017 and March this year.
This compares with the borough of Southwark following closely behind with a reported 12 victims of murder within the last year in the capital.
The borough, which has a residential population of just over 307,000, has seen a dramatic increase in murders from the previous year when there were just three, as the capital is currently in the grip of a knife crime epidemic.
Among those killed in Newham in the past year was Romanian native Beniamin Pieknyi, who tragically died in his friend’s arms after stepping in to protect them during an altercation at the Stratford Centre.
Other victims murdered in the rampant Newham knife wave include Promise Nkenda, who was stabbed to death in Canning Town. Champion Ganda, who was stabbed 11 times in a murderous attack in Forest Gate. And Moosakhan Nasiri, who was stabbed to death in Plashet Park.
But it isn’t just knife crime that has made the borough of Newham one of the most dangerous places in the capital.
Just in July 2018 alone, there was a staggering 468 reports of violent crime recorded in the borough, with a total of 1,845 incidents of crime reported just in one month alone.
Newham has seen a widespread outbreak of gangland feuds, social media amplifying conflicts, and children as young as 13 being recruited as street-level dealers by drug barons who are groomed by the ‘glamour’ of a lifestyle of respect and easy and convenient finance.
Newham, which has the youngest population of any London borough, are more likely to be susceptible to being victims, as well as also being perpetrators of this type of violence, with social media in particularly being used by young people to escalate problems while becoming amplified and violent very quickly.
Drill music has also been seen to exacerbate and encourage retribution through violent and often deadly confrontations, especially amongst youth who are inspired by the association of this rap genre in which masked men are seen making gun gestures and boasting of shooting enemies.
Stabbings and shootings are cutting down young men in Newham at a rate it is hard to follow. With knife crime on the rise, it is more important now than ever to always remain aware and cautious of your surroundings.
For further information on knife crime or to speak to trained professionals regarding the dangers of knife crime, please see the following information, which may prove helpful.
Knife Crimes.Org
Home Office approved site offering information, advice, support and safety resources.
SAMM
SAMM offers understanding, support and a listening ear and a shoulder to lean on and by being a safety net in times of severe emotional crisis.
Crime Stoppers
If you have information about a crime, you can call anonymously on 0800 555 111 or fill in an online form.
Victim Support
The national charity helps people affected by crime. They provide free and confidential support to help you deal with your experience, whether or not you report the crime.
You & Co
Victim Support’s Youth Programme. You & Co will work with you from the moment you experience or witness a crime until when you and your worker feel that you no longer need our support. Feel safer and be safer. Reduce the risks of you becoming a victim again by helping you and the adults around you to make your surroundings safer. Make safer choices. We help you move on from your experiences in a positive way.
Your Choice Your Future
Your Choice Your Future isn’t about telling people what to do. It’s not about telling people what is right or wrong. It’s about talking with people to look at the consequences of the choices they make and then providing information to help them make their choice about their future.
The Ben Kinsella Trust
The Trust exists to promote knife-crime awareness.
How to work in the security sector
If you are interested in working in the security sector, whether it be as a Door Supervisor, Security Guard or CCTV Operative, you will need to obtain an SIA Licence.
To obtain an SIA Licence, you will need to complete a course. Once you have completed the course, will you then be able to apply for an SIA Licence and work in the security sector.
Looking for jobs?
To find the latest security jobs, check out our Jobs Board, which has 1,000+ jobs from the UK’s best security companies.
If you’re on the hunt for a security job on the go, download the GuardPass app for all the latest jobs and more. The GuardPass App is available for download on the Apple App Store or on the Google Play Store.
