Church can help young people leave gangs

The church can use its extensive network across the UK to help young people leave a life of crime.

Referring to the fate of Cain in Genesis 4, the Rev Devid Shosanya said God was the one who takes criminals out of the context in which they are vulnerable and puts them in a safe place.

Rev Shosanya said some people did not have the inner strength and psychological courage to leave the groups they had been socialising with for so long.

He went on to say that young people who had attacked others were "vulnerable to reprisal attacks".

"We need to protect them and socialise them back into society," he said.

"We've got this tremendous opportunity as churches to take some of the young people who are involved in gun and knife crime and drugs and through our extensive network of churches to begin to relocate them across the country, socialise them and release them back into communities."

Rev Shosanya was speaking at the inaugural Street Pastors conference on Friday. Later in the day Scottish Street Pastors were blessed as they prepare to launch the Scotland branch of The Ascension Trust, the ministry behind Street Pastors.

Day two of the conference was joined by Deputy Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Rod Jarman.

He said that by going out and speaking to vulnerable people on the streets each weekend, the Street Pastors were taking the pressure off police officers and allowing them to "get on with their job".

"That's a massive success," he said.

Mr Jarman admitted that there was within the police force and the nation in general a "complete disbelief that people of faith can do anything other than preach".

"I think what you have proved beyond any shadow of a doubt is that faith is what gives you the strength to do good things for other people," he said.

Councillor for Croydon Steve O'Connell Christians running initiatives like Street Pastors should not hesitate to go to their local councils and police networks to request funding and support.

The fact that Street Pastors was inspired by one faith, he added, "should not be a barrier to local authorities reaching out".