Legal advice centre opens to tackle Hackney street violence

Police arresting a robber who has been apprehended by witnesses, Finsbury Park, 20/09/10. Photo:© witnessconfident.org

The UK’s first legal advice centre to offer free confidential support to people who witness street violence opens today.

The centre offers advice to eye witnesses and victims in cases of street violence. It is focussing initially on incidents that occur in Hackney and Islington, where last year 2,195 robberies and 12,244 violent offences were reported to the police (for the year 2008-9, and including offences of domestic and acquaintance violence).

The centre is run by Witness Confident, an independent charity which aims to reduce the numbers of muggings and stranger attacks by encouraging the public to take a stand when they see street violence. The centre has been approved by the Bar Standards Board.

Drawing on the latest official statistics, the charity estimates that as few as one in ten incidents of street violence are ‘cleared up’ by the police. It says that the reason the detection rate is so low is due to the difficulty the police have identifying the perpetrators in cases of street violence, because so few witnesses come forward. This low clear-up rate in turn undermines the public’s confidence in the ability of the police to tackle street crime and so fewer of incidents are reported.

“Witnesses are the key to breaking this vicious circle,” says director of Witness Confident, barrister Guy Dehn. “Unless people take a stand and if necessary take the stand, the level of violence on our streets cannot be reduced. This new advice service will give the public the confidence and support to play their part.”

The kind of cases the charity’s legal helpline will advise on are where someone

* is unsure whether the police can or will do anything
* needs to know what the process will entail
* wants to check their evidence is of value
* cannot contact the right police team
* is anxious about going to court
* suspects or dislikes the police
* is afraid of reprisals.

If you are a victim or witness of street crime in Hackney or Islington, you can contact the legal team on 020 7226 0968 or at help@witnessconfident.org