Sir Ken's comments appeared in a gun crime and gangs report
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Police tackling gun crime and gangs in England and Wales can learn from counter-terrorism strategies, senior officer, Sir Ken Jones, has said.
Sir Ken, chairman of the Association of Chief Police Officers, compared efforts to combat radicalisation with measures to divert young men from joining gangs.
The comments were made in a report by senior officers in London, the West Midlands, Manchester and Merseyside.
It urged police to study government strategies to counter extremism.
Sir Ken said: "In examining gang culture, we have noted emerging thinking on combating radicalisation identifies some common causal factors.
"We are keen to explore any such synergies to improve our understanding of how crime phenomena reflect deeper social problems.
"In fact, the Prevent [the government's strategy] approach to counter terrorism has much to offer."
Imported weapons
The Prevent strategy, announced last year, looked at isolating extremist ideologies and propaganda found to be fuelling grassroots terrorism.
The gun crime and gangs report said there was a common need to intervene with disaffected young men and be alert to triggers which could drive them towards gang membership.
Other findings were highlighted in the report:
• Chaotic street gun fights involving young people were becoming more common
• Guns were imported from Eastern Europe by criminals taking advantage of more relaxed border controls
• Crime figures showing falling gun crime did not give a complete picture
Sir Ken added that the public were still very concerned about guns, gangs and knives.
"The devastating effect of gun crime on victims and communities cannot be under-estimated and the police service is committed to tackling it wherever it occurs," he said.
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