Home Office announces £130m to tackle serious violence and knife crime
Neil Puffett
Monday, March 8, 2021
More than £130m will be provided to organisations as part of efforts to tackle serious violence and steer young people away from crime, the government has announced.
The package, announced today by Home Secretary Priti Patel, includes up to £23m for new early intervention programmes that will help stop young people from being drawn into violence.
The Home Office said this will this include programmes which use significant moments in a young person’s life – such as when they enter police custody or accident and emergency units – as opportunities for trained professionals to engage and divert young people away from violence.
Organisations currently working in these situations include Redthread, which bases youth workers in hospitals.
Meanwhile, £30m will be provided to support police to take targeted action in parts of England and Wales most affected by serious violence.
Other elements of the funding include:
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£3.3m for a two-year Creating Opportunities Forum pilot programme aiming to support young people who may be at risk of serious violence to access employment opportunities
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£3.4m to expand work being carried out by the Metropolitan Police’s Social Media Hub to investigate online gang-related material, gather evidence for prosecutions, and make referrals to social media companies so illegal and harmful content can be taken down
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A further £35.5m, originally announced last month, will be used to help Violence Reduction Units across the country tackle serious violence and prevent young people being drawn into it.
Patel said: “I am determined to cut crime and make our streets safer, which is why we are recruiting 20,000 more police officers, introducing new stop and search powers, and giving the police the resources they need to go after the serious violent criminals causing misery in communities.
“But when it comes to gangs and serious violence, we must also tackle underlying causes. That is why we are investing in new early intervention programmes to stop young people committing these crimes in the first place.”
Mark Russell, chief executive at The Children’s Society, said many young people end up involved in violence because they are being groomed and exploited by organised crime groups, including to traffic drugs in county lines operations.
“They may carry knives for protection because they are living in fear and because they are being coerced to threaten rival criminal groups,” he said.
“Too often, however, they receive only a criminal justice response rather than support as victims to understand and address the underlying reasons for their behaviour.
“We welcome the government’s focus on early intervention, which is much-needed following years of cuts to early help through children’s social care and to services like youth clubs.
“So-called ‘reachable’ moments, such as when a young person is arrested or is admitted to A&E should be used to identify and provide vital support in response to risks like grooming. However, they come at a point when exploitation and violence may be deeply embedded in a child’s life.
“It’s vital there is a strong focus on identifying the warning signs at a much earlier stage, supporting young people before they become trapped in a cycle of exploitation and taking timely action against people grooming them.”
The funding announcement coincides with the publication of a new report finding that responding to young people that come into contact with the youth justice system as “children” rather than “offenders” can “enhance lives, reduce offending, promote safer communities and lead to fewer victims”.
The report, by Professor Stephen Case and Ann Browning, from Loughborough University, sets out the evidence-base for the “Child First” approach to how children should be understood, treated and supported after experiencing problems that have led them to commit a crime.