LONDON, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- Gun crime in London is rising, with more than 2,500 offices involving guns recorded in 2017, a report by the London Assembly revealed Tuesday.
The number of offences last year was the highest for five years, and is 44 percent higher than the 1,755 offences logged in 2014, the report added. The assembly's police and crime committee has called on London mayor Sadiq Khan to tackle growing gun crime in the same way that knife-crime in the capital is being attacked.
The report also adds there is no intelligence on the number of guns circulating in London, adding the supply of guns into Britain from abroad is a growing concern.
"The National Crime Agency (NCA) says the principal supply route is through ports, via private and commercial vehicles. It suggests that small, but increasing numbers of weapons are originating from Eastern Europe, particularly de-commissioned guns which are easily converted into a viable weapon, but that there is still a lot of traffic from America," the report said.
In the 2,542 crimes in 2017 involving guns 770 guns were fired, a 20 percent increase since 2012.
The report shows most gun crime in London is linked to drugs and gangs, with the Metropolitan Police saying that "the gun is very much a tool of the drug dealer to enforce their territory and to enforce their business"
It says statistics show that gang related gun crime is reducing as a proportion of gun crime overall, adding this factor starts to challenge the traditional understanding of the drivers of this type of crime.
Assembly member Steve O'Connell, who chairs the committee, said: "The number of gun crime offences in the capital is small, but nonetheless it is a crime that can cause devastating effects for victims, families and communities.
"The supply of guns from abroad being aided by new technology is a trend that needs to be stopped in its tracks. The changing nature of gun possession and use will also need careful monitoring and may prompt the need for a change in the approach to intervention."
O'Connell added: "The worrying trend that both offenders and victims of gun crime are getting younger means we must provide more information to young people about the consequences of carrying a gun. The Mayor is well placed to support action to reduce the numbers of guns on the streets and the risk of individuals becoming involved in gun crime.
A spokesperson for the London Assembly said: "Gun crime is rising, but the proportion that is gang related -- often thought of as associated with gun crime -- may not be. This, the report suggests, might challenge our traditional understanding of the drivers of this crime, and will likely prompt the need for a much more wide-ranging response.
"The report also highlights that the supply of guns into the UK from abroad is a growing concern, particularly as the use of technology and 'the dark web' is changing the way people can access weapons," the spokesperson said.
