YOUNG people must not be branded as knife-carrying criminals, the principal of City and Islington College has said.<br><br>Frank McLoughlin was addressing Islington Council's Commission on Young People and Safety in Islington on Tuesday evening.<br><br>The Commission was set up to look into how to prevent gang culture after the fatal stabbing of Martin Dinnegan last year.<br><br>"If you treat all young people like criminals and assume they are all carrying knives, you have a problem," said Mr McLoughlin.<br><br>Instead young people need to be treated with respect, set boundaries and given high expectations, he said.<br><br>He added that it is important young people feel safe, secure and respected, and that the 3,500-pupil college has trained security staff and aims to build that environment.<br><br>Mr McLoughlin added that he does not believe gangs are as big a problem in Islington as they were when he was a young man in London.<br><br>"I am not aware of gangs active in Islington like they were in north-west London when I grew up," he said.<br><br>"The college is a massively more secure environment than it was 20 years ago."<br><br>Mr McLoughlin was one of a series of witnesses who gave evidence to the committee.<br><br>Others included the mother of a teenager who drifted into crime but was helped by early intervention, and representatives of youth outreach and crime projects from across London.<br><br>Cllr Greg Foxsmith, chair of the commission, said: "We are very grateful to all the witnesses who have helped the Commission, some of whom tackle these issues on a daily basis; real grass roots stuff. <br><br>"It's a relief to learn that gang culture is not entrenched in Islington as it is in some other boroughs, but we are still determined to take steps to tackle the scourge of knife crime. <br><br>"There are many community groups who are contributing to this, along with the police and the council, but the message from young people themselves is clear: 'get a life, not a knife'."<br><br>Anyone who wants to give evidence, or ideas, to the Commission can do so by writing to Islington Town Hall, Upper Street, N1 2UD, or by emailing democracy@islington.gov.uk<br>
Page Last Updated: 17 December 2009