CYP Now - Interview: Lib Peck, director of the Mayor of London’s Violence Reduction Unit

After nearly 20 years as a Labour councillor in London and in senior roles in local government politics, Lib Peck took on the altogether different challenge of leading the work to reduce violent crime in the capital.

Peck: Youth work ‘a critical professional relationship’

Peck became the director of London’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) when it was set up by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan in March 2019, as part of a country-wide drive to tackle rising youth violent crime.

There are 18 VRUs in England. Based on an approach first developed in Glasgow, they aim to prevent instances of violence by investing in evidence-based interventions such as education and mentoring programmes. Many of the initiatives London VRU runs and funds are youth work based and targeted at young people convicted of a violent offence or at risk of becoming involved in crime.

The VRU has just announced £3m to double the number of youth workers at the capital’s custody suites through its Engage programme. How does this scheme work?

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