Business News


Business has role to play in alleviating knife crime


Saqib Bhatti, president of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, calls on the business community to play its part in protecting our young people in the wake of the knife crime epidemic.


I am not one for sensationalism. However, it is hard to ignore the


harrowing statistic of 99 stabbings in just eight weeks in 2019 and not call it a crisis. Sidali Mohamed, Abdullah Muhammad and Hazrat Umarare were three teenagers needlessly murdered in February.


Described as a national epidemic, this has warranted a response from our Home Secretary and our police and crime commissioner. While the overall responsibility


lies with the PCC and the West Midlands Police, even our mayor, Andy Street has spoken of the need for us all to play our part in protecting our young people. Whenever there is a stabbing,


my overwhelming emotions are of sadness and anger. When I think about Sidali Mohamed being stabbed outside Joseph Chamberlain College, I think of the anguish of his family. I think of the fear that the


students must have every day as


‘A successful business community creates role models and alternatives to those who feel that they are being dragged into a life of criminality’


they attend college. It should be a safe place for them to work towards their dreams, not a crime scene. I think of the callous way the


attacker disregarded how he would tear apart the lives of so many. I think of Sidali’s aspirations of


being an accountant. Perhaps I may have employed him in my own accountancy firm. I certainly hope the attacker feels the full force of the law. Each loss of life tears at the


very fabric of our community. The solution to this problem can’t just be robust policing and tougher sentencing, though. When Andy Street spoke of


giving young people “the opportunities to succeed in life and not be drawn into violence” he was absolutely correct.


Chancellor ‘out of


touch’ on violence The West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner has branded chancellor Phillip Hammond ‘out of touch’ and ‘detached’ from the rise in violent crime. In a radio interview, Mr Hammond said: “If


your house is on fire, you stop painting it and you go and get a bucket and start pouring water on the fire.” However, David Jamieson hit out at the


comments, saying: “I listened with disbelief when I heard the Chancellor comparing the recent spike in violent crime in urban areas like ours with someone painting their house. “The reality is that knife and gun crime have


risen sharply both here in the West Midlands and across the country. “After a decade of cuts the thin blue line is


now thinner than ever. I would ask the Chancellor what police operations he wants us to stop doing in order to tackle violent crime. “Would he prefer West Midlands police to do


less to tackle child sexual abuse, domestic violence or terrorism? “Policing is complex and there are a huge


variety of demands placed upon it. The Chief Constable has quite rightly prioritised the response to knife crime in our area, but that effort hasn't been without significant cost.”


Paul Street: Safety first


Colmore BID has appointed a former Birmingham police officer with extensive counter terrorism and community policing experience to help support safety projects in the city’s commercial district. Paul Street has assisted high-level police


investigations, including the 7/7 terror attacks, and was a lead officer in setting up the West Midlands Counter-Terrorism Unit. In 2008, Mr Street moved back into


community policing and has led on tackling street gangs, youth violence and business crime. Mr Street completed a 12-month contract delivering award-winning work for Soho Road


BID after a career at West Midlands Police spanning 30 years, which culminated in a Commissioner’s Commendation. The BID works in partnership with Birmingham


City Council on public realm projects and enhancement schemes for the district. Mr Street said: “The growth of the district’s


fantastic food and drink scene over the last five years brings with it a range of challenges which I look forward to overcoming in partnership with our local businesses. “I will continue to work with new and existing


partners to ensure that the district is as resilient as it can be.”


April 2019 CHAMBERLINK 21 As the business community, we


will provide the opportunities that Andy speaks of. Young people who don’t have peers mentoring them are open to being preyed upon by gangs who will groom them. A successful business


community creates role models and alternatives to those who feel that they are being dragged into a life of criminality. In Birmingham there is plenty


of goodwill to stop this. Our recruitment practices need


to be open and inclusive so our communities get a fair hand at accessing the best opportunities that are available. Previously, as president of the


Asian Business Chamber of Commerce, when I launched the diversity pledge, this was the underlying driving force. A


successful pilot with a waiting list of companies looking to evolve their recruitment practices, there is no shortage of desire to make a change. We have an array of mentoring


programmes including one led by our mayor named the Mayor’s ‘One Million Mentors’. The ‘Ladder for Greater Birmingham’ launched by the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership last year aims to get over 1000 young people into apprenticeships. Sidali Mohamed, Abdullah Muhammad and Hazrat Umarare should be names that inspire us to change. Change will not happen overnight and the journey will not be easy. As president of the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, I often speak about business being a force for good. In this journey we must not fail.


This column was first published in the Birmingham Post.


Ex-terror


officer leads bid to make streets safe


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