By Kaye Wiggins, politics editor
New figures from Lambeth council show there are 215 potentially-dangerous gang members across the borough.
The figures were set out as part of a report on the council’s plans to stop gang violence. It said 73 of the 215 people deemed to be “at risk of causing harm to others and being involved in gangs” were in custody.
The 215 people are spread across a large area that runs from the south bank of the river Thames to Streatham, and includes Brixton, Clapham, Stockwell and Norwood.
The council and the police service use a ranking system to set out how likely it is that certain gang members will pose a risk to others or become victims of violence, the report said.
The report, which was discussed at a meeting of the council’s cabinet on Monday, also said the council had set up a specialist team of five people to look at new ways of tackling gang violence.
Councillor Lorna Campbell said at the meeting that the council should spend money on schemes to prevent young people from getting involved with gangs, as well as trying to get existing gang members to quit.
The council’s deputy leader, Cllr Jackie Meldrum, said there had been a “gang situation” in the area for many years and that it would take a “concerted effort” to end this.
