Home / William Ackah, Senior Lecturer, Birkbeck University of London (United Kingdom)
William’s research is guided by the question: “How effective has Haringey Council’s community focused approach been in tackling knife crime in the borough?” The London Borough of Haringey is an inner London local authority area with high levels of child poverty compared to the rest of the country. (trustforlondon.org.uk/data/boroughs/Haringey) Levels of knife crime across London have proven to be scourge on the society impacting young people from poor and black and minority ethnic backgrounds disproportionality.
The research consists of utilising the services of a research assistant and community research associate to work with the Community Development Programme Director of Birkbeck and the Community Safety Team of Haringey to identify the key resources and sources required to undertake a detailed assessment and evaluation of Haringey’s efforts to reduce knife crime. The team will produce a scoping exercise report with a detailed action plan which will outline how our partnership will work together to address this issue long term.
The objective of the initial exercise is to work with the Community Safety Team and Policy Team of the local authority to identify the key resources and sources that have been utilised in their efforts to reduce knife crime. The team will engage a research assistant and a community research associate to undertake the following:
The ultimate impact of the long-term project is that it will save the lives of young people in London.
It will lead to clearer understandings of what constitutes effective partnership working in reducing knife crime. It will result in more effective engaged community, local authority, and other statutory agency working arrangements across London in dealing with this issue. It will facilitate improved monitoring, assessment and evaluation of schemes targeted at communities to tackle knife crime and related issues.
It will facilitate ongoing partnership between the University, Community Safety Team and Community Organisations in the borough and further afield.