Rowland Kpakete, Author at Tribune Online

London schools are facing a potential rise in violence and gang exploitation after a decision to remove specialist police officers, headteachers have warned. Education leaders are urging the Metropolitan Police to reconsider plans to move 371 safer schools officers into neighbourhood policing teams from next month. Teachers say the change puts pupils at "greater risk" of violence. Some students have also expressed concern, telling Sky News they fear "more knives" and "more drugs" will enter schools. Safer schools officers have worked in London schools since 2009, helping to de-escalate conflicts and prevent youth involvement in crime. In response to the concerns, the Metropolitan Police said: "Children should be able to travel to and from school and study without the fear of violence. "This is where we know young people are most at risk of violence and gangs, and it is where our officers will continue to be, ensuring that they are able to quickly respond to any incidents or concerns in the community." Despite this, 15 headteachers from secondary schools in northeast London have written to the Met warning that "without the support of safer school officers, vulnerable students may become prey to exploitation and, in turn, perpetrators of crime". Sam Jones, chair of The Waltham Forest Secondary Heads group, said the decision was "very misguided" and that schools had not been consulted. "We think that it will increase in violence, potentially increase bullying and weapons-related incidents," he told Sky News. He added that safer schools officers are a "key deterrent when it comes to gang recruitment and county lines issues. I think this is a huge backward step." Knife crime in London hit a record high of 16,521 offences in the year ending September 2024 — an 18% rise from the previous year, according to the Office for National Statistics. A survey of secondary school teachers across England found that nearly one in five had seen pupils carrying knives. Students at Footsteps Trust in London said the officers’ removal could lead to more violence. "There will be more knives. There will be fighting, there will be drugs coming into school and no one will be there to actually stop it. "If anything happens outside of school you can tell them and let them know," said Tyrelle, 14. Another student, Mikolej, 15, said having an officer present had been a "good thing" that encouraged young people to "speak more to police officers outside of school". Chris Hall, headteacher of Footsteps Trust, said it was "quite staggering" that educators had not been consulted. He called the officers "very, very, valuable assets" who helped familiarise students with the police "in the most positive way. "I would 100% ask them to re-consider," he said. Walthamstow MP, Stella Creasy also urged the force to rethink the plan. She told Sky News she hoped the Met would "sit down with all of us so that we can work together on this." The Met, in a letter to headteachers, said the changes would take effect from 2 May and were "not made lightly". The force stated that the aim is to boost community presence. In an earlier statement to Sky News, Glen Pavelin, the Met's frontline policing commander for neighbourhoods, said: "Although officers will no longer be based in schools, they will join local policing teams where they will retain strong relationships with schools to ensure that any reports of knife crime can be dealt with quickly. "Officers will also work with local organisations and other youth based establishments to safeguard young people, prevent victimisation and reduce crime and anti-social behaviour (ASB) beyond schools." The Met Police recently announced it will cut 1,700 officers and staff to address a £260 million budget shortfall. (Sky News)