Over the past few days Britain has been blighted by stories about gun crime. Fear seemed to engulf some of our streets as reports of the deaths of James Andre Smartt-Ford, 16, Michael Dosunmu, 15, and Billy Cox, 15, came to light. This weekend’s assassination-style shootings in Moss Side, Longsight and Hackney have given the impression that the violence is spiralling out of the control of both the police and government agencies.

Eight to 10 years ago it was thought that gun crime in black communities was mainly caused by Caribbean-based drug dealers extending their trade in Britain. However, over the past few years the entire picture has changed. British-born black people have become both offenders and victims of gun crime. The ages of the offenders now range from late twenties to children as young as 12.

Copycat incidents are an enormous concern. How have black communities arrived at this desperate position? It is true that the breakdown of family structures and the absence of fathers and working single mothers have blighted the lives of potential offenders. This is compounded by social and economic deprivation.

But while none of these factors should excuse young people resorting to carrying guns, it is evident that a viable drug trade, alongside turf wars, acts as the catalyst.

We have all been working on strategies to stop young people drifting into crime at an early stage. For instance, a number of educational tool kits, including Untouchable?, the gun crime video and teaching resource pack, and the Don’t Shoot education resource pack, have been created by local organisations, statutory agencies and voluntary groups. Schools, however, are reluctant to use them because they fear once the news gets out they will be stigmatised and lose out on potential students to competing schools. They need to be encouraged to do the job.

Early intervention in schools, if adequately implemented, will provide a basis for reeducating young people who feel the need to carry guns or knives to protect themselves from potential predators.

The notion that young people carry guns as a fashion accessory has by far exceeded its sell-by date. But what is increasingly true is that turf wars built on a gang culture are fast becoming the basis for retribution in the inner city. The existence of “street role models” and gangsta rap artists and the role of the media in glamorising crime have also been a growing negative influence on young people.

The recent teenage killings show that this is no longer a black concern alone. The victims were from Caribbean, African, white and Asian backgrounds. There has been speculation that some of the offenders were white. If this is the case, we must assume that gun crime has spread to all races. We are not denying its previous existence in the black community. But gangs and postcode wars have subsequently brought young people together across racial divides.

The church is the largest voluntary provider of services to the black community and its role in crime prevention must be recognised and supported. Through initiatives such as street pastors and our regular Sunday schools and youth clubs, many young people have been given alternative choices to a life of violence. The government needs to support faith organisations providing vital services for parents and young people.

Governments cannot raise children. They can only help those who do. My experience over the years in supporting families who have been affected by knife and gun crime has left me bewildered at the wickedness of some people. Mothers have been damaged by the loss of a loved one and siblings and children left permanently scarred. But it has to be said loud and clear that parents must hold their children to account when they arrive home with expensive clothes and other accessories which they obviously cannot afford. Failing to act right from the beginning is failing to accept that the drug trade has made an entry into their homes.

I know of what I speak. A gang member once came into my office and said he wanted to opt out; he told me that he was ready to hand in his guns but wanted reassurance that he would be relocated so that neither he nor his family would be targeted by a rival gang. I did all I could, from speaking to a Home Office minister and to leading police officers and housing officers, and I found that there was no way out because to get what he wanted he was required to sell out his friends and former gang members.

On another occasion, I spoke to a victim of gun crime who was aware of the various gangs and their credentials. When asked how we could put a stop to the violence and retribution shootings, the response was shocking and simply to the point: “It’s not going to stop till all of them are either dead or in prison.”

Still, we must keep on trying. The solution ultimately lies in a coordinated approach by all government agencies, in partnership with the black community. It is evident that there is no short-term fix for what has become a long-term problem. The black community must be empowered to restore moral values, working with vulnerable parents and young people. The church should be at the forefront of this campaign. Political correctness cannot be allowed to stop it.

The Rev Nims Obunge is chief executive of the Peace Alliance, a voluntary group tackling crime

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