There have been 89 violent deaths in London since January and violent crime has risen by 40% since 2010. Gang-related violent crime has nearly halved over the same period, according to Met Police figures obtained by the BBC.
But some experts are unconvinced the statistics really show gangs have gone.
The Met Police has put the drop down to the implementation of the Gang Violence Matrix. The database, set up in the wake of the 2011 riots, holds information on about 3,800 people of interest.
Last year, just one in every 500 violent crimes recorded by the Met Police was tagged as gang-related.
Gangs have been found to be responsible for 15% of London’s murders since 2010.
Simon Harding, an expert on gangs at the University of West London, said he believed the Met’s definition of gang crime was insufficient.
“The new figures do not match what I’m seeing in Accident and Emergency departments, or on the street,” the criminologist said. More
Nearest tube: Elephant & Castle underground station (Northern and Bakerloo lines).
Nearest Railway Station: Elephant & Castle
Buses from Elephant and Castle: ask bus driver for Burgess Park. Bus numbers: 12, 171, 148, 176, 68, 484, 42, 40, 45