'Luton must come together to tackle knife violence' says council

Luton Borough Council has urged the town to “come together to tackle knife violence” after a 16-year-old boy was stabbed to death at the weekend.

In a statement put out by the council, Bedfordshire Police, schools, community and faith groups in the town expressed “their deep shock and sadness at the tragic events over the weekend”.

Luton council said: “The local community is understandably distressed, angry and anxious following these senseless acts of violence that are sadly taking place across the country.

“However it’s unacceptable that it happened in the first place and we must all double down in our efforts to eradicate this senseless violence in our communities.”

Leader of Luton council, Cllr Hazel Simmons MBE, said: "This devastating news has sent a shockwave right across our community. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of this young man and all those affected by this senseless tragedy.

“Knife crime is a national concern and by no means isolated to our town, but we know that a lack of access to opportunities, jobs and services can have many negative impacts. It is not a problem any one organisation can tackle alone – we must all come together and find solutions for Luton.

“The safety and wellbeing of our young people is an absolute priority for Luton. It is simply not acceptable for people to carry knives with the intent of killing and injuring others.”

Bedfordshire Police’s Chief Constable Trevor Rodenhurst said: “Incidents like these bring concern to the whole community, and there remains a profound sense of sadness that a life so young has been lost in these circumstances on the streets of Bedfordshire.

“Our thoughts remain with the victim’s family and loved ones at such a tragic time. I cannot imagine the hurt and loss they are feeling and we do have specialist police officers in regular contact with them to offer support.

“The Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit is carrying out a thorough investigation, and there will be an increased policing presence in the area whilst enquiries are ongoing.

“We must intensify our efforts in the wake of this appalling violence to address the key drivers of serious youth violence, whilst directly detecting and deterring the use of knives and weapons. We know we cannot arrest our way out of this hugely damaging problem.

“From a policing perspective, we will continue to work with all our partners in these spaces, and we will drive enforcement operations to combat things that are often the drivers of knife crime, such as gang activity, county lines or other forms of drug dealing and organised crime.”

John Burridge is the chair of Luton Secondary Heads. He said: “The whole educational community in Luton is saddened and troubled by these recent incidents. Our thoughts are with those affected at this time.

“Schools and Colleges in our town are committed to ensuring that there is a town-wide strategy to further tackle knife crime. Such horrific crimes impact so many young people in our community and this requires us all to come together.”

Luton Sixth Form College revealed that Ashraf Habimana, the 16-year-old boy who died from stab wounds, was a student there.

Prof Zafar Khan, chair Luton Council of Faiths, said: "We are extremely saddened by this tragic event. We have consistently and vehemently denounced any acts of violence and knife crime that have such tragic results and violate the sanctity of human life.

"Luton’s faith communities stand together in solidarity with the families of those bereaved by the untimely loss of their loved one and offer sincere sympathies to those who survived the life-threatening attack and injuries. We all have a role to play to prevent youth violence and knife crimes, as well as to assist young people in living fulfilling lives and enhancing their future prospects.”

Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner Festus Akinbusoye said: “The growing crisis of knife crime and serious violence on our streets is of real concern to me. I cannot fathom what the families of the young people whose lives have been taken through this senseless acts of violence are going through. Their grief and loss are emotions I cannot comprehend as father to teenagers myself.

“Much is being done, but I acknowledge there is more to do. We cannot solve knife crime in isolation or just simply through more policing alone, which is why I continue to work closely with the three local authorities in Bedfordshire, voluntary organisations, faith groups and wider communities to tackle the cause of this terrible crime in our county.”

Kimberley Lamb, director of the Bedfordshire Violence and Exploitation Reduction Unit, said: “I know just what a profound impact tragedies like this have across all our communities in Luton and my heart goes out to all of those who have been affected.”

She explained: “Knife crime and serious youth violence is a problem we will only solve collectively, by working collaboratively across policing, other statutory services, charities, families and communities themselves to keep young people safe. We are determined to play our part in tackling the root causes of violence and exploitation, provide opportunities for young people and rid the scourge of knife crime from our county.”

Si Philbert is the CEO of Wingman Mentors, a non-profit organisation dedicated to empowering and supporting young people. He started a fundraiser to bring critical bleeding training and kits in the town. Si said: “The recent incidents have deeply impacted our community. We recognise the gravity of the situation and the urgent need to address the underlying issues contributing to such incidents.

“We are committed to tackling these issues head-on by providing support, guidance, and opportunities for personal growth. In the face of this, we reaffirm our dedication to working collaboratively with community members, organisations, and concerned individuals.”

Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact the police on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.