The events of Saturday night shocked our community. While the motivations of the individual involved might not be known for some time, there is no doubt that the tragedy in Paris a few short weeks ago and the ongoing debate about Britain’s intervention in Syria have heightened the public fear of terror and extremism.
With the public sector prevent duty newly in place, we all need to think about the ways in which we can work not only to prevent the risk of radicalisation, but to work with communities who can at times feel targeted and fearful.
Waltham Forest is one of the most diverse areas of the country in one of the most diverse cities on earth. While we don’t believe that we have a problem with cohesion, and 87% of our residents think that we are a place where people of different backgrounds get on well together, we don’t take this for granted.
