Eighteen areas of England and Wales most blighted by violent
crime have been receiving targeted funding for the past three
years, to increase police patrols in crime hotspots and provide
more support to at-risk young people.
An independent evaluation published today of the government’s
‘hotspot’ policing programme and network of Violence Reduction
Units (VRUs) has revealed promising signs the approach is
working, with 136,000 violence without injury offences estimated
to have been prevented in areas with the programmes.
There are also positive indications that homicides and hospital
admissions for violent injuries are reducing in these locations
as a result of this funding.
The results come as the new Serious Violence Duty comes into
force today, which was brought in by the Police, Crime,
Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 and places a legal duty on public
bodies to work together to drive down serious violence.
Policing Minister said:
These are outstanding results. Early interventions, which support
at-risk kids to make the right choices in life, are helping to
keep our communities and streets safer.
Serious violence is a complex issue, which is why we are putting
multi-agency working at the centre of our approach.
Violence Reduction Units, hotspot patrols and the recruitment of
20,000 additional police officers will see every community become
a safe and prosperous place to live.
Set up in 2019, VRUs are a pioneering multi-agency initiative
that brings together local partners in policing, education,
health, and local government, to identify vulnerable children and
adults and steer them away from a life of crime and violence.
With prevention better than cure, VRUs and GRIP patrols not only
reduce violent incidents but see wider benefits. In their third
year of operation, for every £1 invested by the Home Office in
this serious violence prevention work, there was a return of
£4.10 in savings to society.
The Violence Intervention Project (VIP) navigator scheme by the
Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Violence Reduction Unit
engages with young people in custody suites, at a time they are
most likely to accept help. Support workers create a ‘teachable
moment’ to offer support and access to services to steer them
back on track.
One eighteen-year old, James (name has been changed), was helped
by the VIP team after being caught in possession of a knife and
drugs. Weekly mentoring, engagement with a substance misuse
worker, and enrolment on a construction course and a gym has
helped him stick to his bail conditions. He has not reoffended,
has been more open about his mental health and now understands
how decisions at this stage of his life can impact his future.
Grace Strong, Director of the Leicestershire Violence Reduction
Network said:
The VIP team are seeing hundreds of young people a year and
offering them tailored support to make positive changes in their
life and reducing their risk of being involved in further serious
violence.
These vulnerable young people are becoming supported and
empowered, and it is extremely positive for everyone to see them
achieve goals that they never thought to be possible.
West Yorkshire VRU runs a similar scheme, in conjunction with the
local hospital, to reach those presenting in A&E due to a
violent incident.
Dr Alice Downs, Paediatric Emergency Consultant & Department
Safeguarding Lead for Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said:
When young people come into our hospitals as a result of violent
crime we have a small window of opportunity to offer brief
intervention using youth workers to empower the young person to
make better life choices.
Working with the Violence Reduction Unit has enabled us to
establish a team of Navigators who can explore the circumstances
that have led to the young person’s hospital attendance, and
address these to try and prevent similar incidents occurring.
Their attendance in our Emergency Department provides a valuable
opportunity to intervene, improve lives, reduce morbidity and
death from violent crime. This in turn should reduce the
substantial impact on families and the cost to the NHS.
Building on the successes of VRUs, from today, multi-agency
working is a legal obligation for public bodies across England
and Wales, through the Serious Violence Duty. Police, health,
fire and rescue services, local government and criminal justice
partners will now be required to collaborate to find and address
the causes of serious violence in their local area.
The duty will aim to continue driving down serious youth violence
(as measured by under 25 hospital admissions for assault by a
sharp object) across England and Wales, which has already fallen
by 20% across England and Wales since March 2020.
