Matthew was pleased to join pupils at Hendon School to launch the borough of Barnet’s first City Safe Zone project. Accompanied by his former colleagues on Barnet Council, the Metropolitan Police and staff and pupils from the school, Matthew walked along Brent Street in Hendon to meet shopkeepers who are taking part in the innovative scheme to keep young people safe.
Introduced in response to the tragic deaths of Martin Dinnegan and Jimmy Mizen, the objective of the Zone is to provide a safe sanctuary for people in shops if they fear being attacked. Shopkeepers sign up to the scheme and display a sign in their window with the City Safe Zone logo.
Matthew told the launch:
“A tradition of the original Olympic Games in Greece was for 100 days of peace – 50 before and 50 after. This was to allow safe passage to and from the games for participants. The City Safe Zone is one of hundreds of such projects launched as part of London’s 100 days of peace. The project will then continue as a legacy of the Olympics and will help keep people safe for many years to come. This is something that the police, the Council or even the Government cannot achieve on their own. The project in Barnet has been initiated by young people at Hendon school and it will be their legacy. I very much hope that other schools in my constituency will also decide to launch Safe Zones. “
Photo: Matthew is joined by pupils and staff from Hendon School along with Hendon’s Safer Neighbourhood Team, Hendon Councillors, staff from the Citizens First organisation and Lorraine Dinnegan, mother of Martin Dinnegan.