We don't know whether crime is on the up or down but two new initiatives to engage London youth in the debate hit the news today.
In Wood Green, kids suggested that a text 999 hotline to the police might encourage people to report crime on buses without drawing attention to themselves.
Across town in Forest Gate, a genuine El Salvadoran gangsta attempted to deglamourise gang culture at a school assembly, giving the Met a break, recognising that "the police have to hustle to hold their own". Word.
Whilst we see problems with the texting idea (police stations inundated with messages from irritated adults too scared to tell the big kid to turn off the crappy speakerphone and too many beep, beep alerts) and have no idea whether the Breaking the Cycle dude Sergio can really inspire London yoot (he does look pretty cool, you know, next to those kids in school blazers), action rather than words sounds good to us.
