Comment: a new war on the gangs

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For the criminal justice system to work effectively, witnesses to crimes must be willing to appear in court. Yet in the case of gang violence, witnesses may live on the same estates as the accused and are often so intimidated by the threat of reprisals that they are reluctant - quite understandably - to give evidence against them. The Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, today addresses ways in which the police can better counter gang violence. Rightly, she is dealing with the problem of witness protection at the outset. She promises that people who give evidence against gang members will be given protection as soon as they come forward.

At present, anonymity is often guaranteed only near the start of trials, which means that would-be witnesses can be intimidated before then. Given the length of time it often takes to bring a case to court - itself a real problem - this is a deterrent to people to testify in court.

This is just one of a number of recommendations from a Home Office report into ways of dealing with gangs. Obviously the problem is particularly acute in London where there are estimated to be more than 170 gangs, many involved with drug dealing as well as petty violence, and police suggest that in south London, one in three youths is a present or past gang member. Another measure Ms Smith is considering is to allow police officers to use court injunctions to ban known gang members from entering specific areas of a city. This approach was used effectively in Birmingham, bringing down levels of gun crime significantly until it was ruled out by a judge, after which levels of violence rose again. It is plainly useful - if controversial on civil liberties grounds - as a means of containing suspects where there is insufficient evidence to launch a criminal prosecution.

The causes of gang violence run deep, and measures like these can only deal with the symptoms of the problem. But if they help remove the sense that petty gangsters can enjoy immunity from the consequences of their actions, they have to be to the good.