Gang matrix of suspects culled as 1,000 Londoners removed

More than 1,000 people have been removed from a gangs matrix under reforms led by the Metropolitan Police’s new commissioner. The list was found to be potentially be in breach of data laws with those identified upon it at risk of losing their homes or driving licences.Met Commissioner Mark Rowley told the Guardian: “We acknowledge that the gangs violence matrix does need to be redesigned, taking into account improvements in statistical methods and technologies.”We know young men, and in particular young black men, continue to be over-represented on the matrix.”Sadly, there is a reality that levels of violent crime do disproportionally affect young black men – both in terms of victimisation and offending – and our tactics do need to be targeted so we can protect those most at risk.”However, it is not appropriate that the matrix further amplifies this disproportionality. As an immediate response, we are removing all the lowest-risk individuals. This represents 65 percent, or more than 1,100 people.” The Met’s Mark Rowley addresses the media outside New Scotland Yard in central London (Image: Getty) A demonstrator calling for greater action on knife crime at a rally in London (Image: Getty) Police at the scene of a shooting in Brixton, south London (Image: Getty) Sadiq Khan and Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Mark Rowley, in east London (Image: PA)Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said in February last year he could not ignore the fact black Londoners have less trust in the Met.Mr Khan said: “We simply cannot ignore the fact black Londoners have less trust in the Met and that is why my comprehensive overhaul of the Gang Violence Matrix is so important to improving the trust and confidence London’s diverse communities have in our police.”As a direct result of the Met acting on my recommendations to make the Matrix database more transparent, effective and more evidence based than ever before, more than 1,000 young black Londoners who should not have been on it have now been removed.”At the same time detection rates have improved.”DON’T MISS:Braverman sent official documents to personal email SIX times [LATEST] ‘Deeply unhappy’ Tory MPs drafting letters of no confidence in Sunak [REVEALED] Prince Harry to return to UK to promote book at Christmas [REPORT] Spending on the police laid bare (Image: Express)News about the matrix comes after a takeaway delivery driver died along with a second man after gunshots were fired in south London.They were killed in Railton Road, Brixton, just before 8pm on Sunday (October 30) after locals heard shots ringing out and vehicles crashing.A Deliveroo driver working near the scene said on Monday he knew one of the victims, who had been making his last delivery of the day when he died.Paulo Silva, 42, described him as a “good boy” and “young” and said he had been planning to go to Brazil in December. Debris from vehicles and a police forensics tent in Railton Road, Brixton (Image: Getty)Scotland Yard has not yet confirmed the identities of those who died, but confirmed one man had died in a crash while another was fatally shot.White forensic tents had been put up at the scene today where debris could be seen strewn across the road.There were two crashed vehicles, a silver car which had lost one of its tyres and a moped. A 322 bus was left parked within the police cordon.The latest violence means four people have been killed in two shootings within five days in the capital after a separate incident in Ilford, east London, last Tuesday left two men dead and a third injured.It follows a spate of shootings in July which saw three men die in separate attacks in six days.Before those killings and up until July 19 this year, there had been no firearms deaths in the capital since October 31, 2021.In the whole of last year, there were 12 fatal shootings among a total of 134 homicides recorded by the Metropolitan Police.In April, the force said it had seen a kdrop in gun crime with the number of all shootings, including fatal and non-fatal, down from 283 in 2019/20 to 196 in 2021/22.