May. 15 2024
Source Page: £4 million boost to fight knife crimeFound: £4 million boost to fight knife crime
Mentions:
1: Lord Bailey of Paddington (Con - Life peer) reduction units in addressing knife crime. - Speech Link
2: Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede (Lab - Life peer) My Lords, knife crime is up by 70% since 2015 and, according to the YMCA, youth services were cut by - Speech Link
3: Lord Sharpe of Epsom (Con - Life peer) As regards knife crime across the country, the rise is driven largely by the situation in London. - Speech Link
4: Baroness Doocey (LD - Life peer) My Lords, violence reduction units can definitely reduce knife crime, as has been shown time and time - Speech Link
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to tackle knife crime in Solihull constituency.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Tackling knife crime and violent assaults is a priority and the Government is determined to crack down on the scourge of violence devastating our communities.
As a result of the Government’s Police Uplift Programme (PUP) the West Midlands Force recruited 1,376 additional uplift officers against a total three-year allocation of 1,218 officers. On 31 March 2023, there were 8,067 police officers in West Midlands, a total growth of 1,376 additional officers against the baseline (6,691) at the start of the Police Uplift Programme.
The Government is proposing a total police funding settlement of up to £18.4 billion in 2024-25, an increase of up to £842.9 million when compared to 2023-24. Assuming full take up of precept flexibility, overall police funding available to PCCs will increase by up to £922.2 million (6.0% in cash terms). West Midlands funding will be up to £789.4 million for 2024/25, an increase of up to £50 million when compared to 2023/24.
West Midlands Police are delivering additional policing in their areas worst affected by serious violence via the Grip programme funding, including in Solihull City Centre. This is a combination of regular visible patrols in the streets and neighbourhoods (‘hotspot areas’) experiencing the highest volumes of serious violence to immediately suppress violence and provide community reassurance, and problem-oriented policing. Problem-oriented policing is bespoke to the local areas to tackle the local underlying drivers of crime, using a more comprehensive menu of policing interventions and enforcement. Interventions in the Force area have included targeted open space knife sweeps, knife crime education in schools, and conducting safeguarding referrals. Grip-funded analysts monitor operational police activity within the hotspots, as well as crime levels, to understand the effects of additional patrols on violent crime.
Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) bring together local partners to understand and tackle the drivers of serious violence in their area. They facilitate the sharing of data across organisational boundaries to build a shared understanding of the root causes of violence locally.
In the West Midlands its VRU delivers a range of preventative interventions, including Hospital and Custody Navigators (youth workers in settings steering young people away from violence at a ‘teachable moment’), cognitive behavioural therapy programmes and sports-based diversionary programmes.
Violence Reduction Units, in combination with Grip, have delivered a statistically significant reduction in hospital admissions for violent injuries since funding began in 2019 (an estimated 3,220 admissions have been prevented in areas where the programmes operate). VRUs have supported over 271,000 young people through funded initiatives in in their fourth year of operation alone.
We also recently consulted on new legislative proposals to tackle knife crime and as a result, in the Criminal Justice Bill, we have introduced provisions to provide more powers for police to seize knives held in private that could be used in crimes, increase the maximum penalty for the offences of selling prohibited weapons and selling knives to under 18s. When Parliamentary time allows, the Government intends to introduce a new ban on zombie-style machetes and knives.
Mentions:
1: Alistair Carmichael (LD - Orkney and Shetland) a violence reduction unit. - Speech Link
2: Michael Tomlinson (Con - Mid Dorset and North Poole) when it comes to addressing serious violence, knife crime and weapons carrying. - Speech Link
3: Sally-Ann Hart (Con - Hastings and Rye) We have seen a 16% reduction in knife crime for that period. - Speech Link
4: Sarah Owen (Lab - Luton North) Knife crime and violence have no place in our society. - Speech Link
5: Feryal Clark (Lab - Enfield North) That will support our aim of halving serious violence, including knife crime, and youth violence within - Speech Link
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to tackle violent assaults in Solihull constituency.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Tackling knife crime and violent assaults is a priority and the Government is determined to crack down on the scourge of violence devastating our communities.
As a result of the Government’s Police Uplift Programme (PUP) the West Midlands Force recruited 1,376 additional uplift officers against a total three-year allocation of 1,218 officers. On 31 March 2023, there were 8,067 police officers in West Midlands, a total growth of 1,376 additional officers against the baseline (6,691) at the start of the Police Uplift Programme.
The Government is proposing a total police funding settlement of up to £18.4 billion in 2024-25, an increase of up to £842.9 million when compared to 2023-24. Assuming full take up of precept flexibility, overall police funding available to PCCs will increase by up to £922.2 million (6.0% in cash terms). West Midlands funding will be up to £789.4 million for 2024/25, an increase of up to £50 million when compared to 2023/24.
West Midlands Police are delivering additional policing in their areas worst affected by serious violence via the Grip programme funding, including in Solihull City Centre. This is a combination of regular visible patrols in the streets and neighbourhoods (‘hotspot areas’) experiencing the highest volumes of serious violence to immediately suppress violence and provide community reassurance, and problem-oriented policing. Problem-oriented policing is bespoke to the local areas to tackle the local underlying drivers of crime, using a more comprehensive menu of policing interventions and enforcement. Interventions in the Force area have included targeted open space knife sweeps, knife crime education in schools, and conducting safeguarding referrals. Grip-funded analysts monitor operational police activity within the hotspots, as well as crime levels, to understand the effects of additional patrols on violent crime.
Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) bring together local partners to understand and tackle the drivers of serious violence in their area. They facilitate the sharing of data across organisational boundaries to build a shared understanding of the root causes of violence locally.
In the West Midlands its VRU delivers a range of preventative interventions, including Hospital and Custody Navigators (youth workers in settings steering young people away from violence at a ‘teachable moment’), cognitive behavioural therapy programmes and sports-based diversionary programmes.
Violence Reduction Units, in combination with Grip, have delivered a statistically significant reduction in hospital admissions for violent injuries since funding began in 2019 (an estimated 3,220 admissions have been prevented in areas where the programmes operate). VRUs have supported over 271,000 young people through funded initiatives in in their fourth year of operation alone.
We also recently consulted on new legislative proposals to tackle knife crime and as a result, in the Criminal Justice Bill, we have introduced provisions to provide more powers for police to seize knives held in private that could be used in crimes, increase the maximum penalty for the offences of selling prohibited weapons and selling knives to under 18s. When Parliamentary time allows, the Government intends to introduce a new ban on zombie-style machetes and knives.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he has taken to work with relevant authorities to tackle knife (a) possession and (b) crime among youth in (i) England and (ii) Romford constituency.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Tackling knife crime is a priority and the Government is determined to crack down on the scourge of violence devastating our communities.
We recently consulted on new legislative proposals to tackle knife crime and as a result, in the Criminal Justice Bill, we have introduced provisions to provide more powers for police to seize knives held in private that could be used in crimes, increase the maximum penalty for the offences of selling prohibited weapons and selling knives to under 18s. In the next few weeks, the Government intends to introduce a new ban on zombie-style machetes and knives.
As a result of the Government’s Police Uplift Programme (PUP) the Metropolitan police service has recruited 3,468 additional uplift officers against a total three-year allocation of 4,557 officers. The Metropolitan Police’s funding will be up to £3,581.1 million for 2024/25, an increase of up to £118.9 million when compared to 2023/24.
Under this Government, it has never been easier for the police to make legitimate use of stop and search powers. Every knife seized through stop and search is a potential life saved. In 2022-23, stop and search removed over 15,000 weapons and firearms from our streets and resulted over 74,000 arrests across England and Wales. In Essex there were over 2,000 resultant arrests following a stop and search and almost 4,600 searches resulted in a stolen or prohibited article being found in 2022-23.
The Home Office has invested over £160m since 2019 into the development of 20 Violence Reduction Units across England and Wales with a further £55m made available for 2023/24. Since 2019, we have provided over £43 million to develop and run the London Violence Reduction Unit, which covers Havering. This includes an investment of £9.5m in 2023/24. Violence Reduction Units deter people, particularly young people, from becoming involved in serious violence by bringing together partners from health, probation, policing, housing and beyond and investing in the best evidence-based interventions.
Through our Grip programme, we are providing additional funding to enable the Metropolitan police to boost patrols in specific streets and neighbourhoods most affected by violence, including Romford High Street. This programme is providing regular, visible patrols to deter violence and provide community reassurance as well as problem-oriented policing.
Problem-oriented policing is based on an analytical approach that seeks to identify and respond to the specific drivers of violence as they affect the particular location, so that working with partners, the police can take effective preventative action to tackle these. Since 2019, we have provided The Met Police with c.£51.8 million for their delivery of the programme and have awarded them a further c.£8.9 million for this (23/24) financial year.
Violence Reduction Units, in combination with GRIP, have delivered a statistically significant reduction in hospital admissions for violent injuries since funding began in 2019 (an estimated 3,220 admissions have been prevented in areas where the programmes operate).
Over 10 years the Home Office is investing £200m in early intervention and prevention initiatives to help children and young people at risk of exploitation and involvement in serious violence, through the Youth Endowment Fund.
The YEF have funded the SW!TCH Lives project in Romford, which aimed to promote positive actions and emotions and reduce risky behaviour by providing young people with consistent, positive role models, weekly mentoring and positive peer networks. They have also funded ‘You and Me Counselling’ as part of the COVID-19 Learning Project, which aimed to provide targeted support to young people at risk of being involved in violence; and second, to learn fast about the best ways to reach young people during a period of social distancing.
Mentions:
1: None act as a deterrent to contribute to the reduction of knife-related crimes; and further that the rehabilitation - Speech Link
2: None we can to protect communities and see that knife crime offenders are brought to justice. - Speech Link
3: None The Government are determined to tackle the underlying causes of serious violence, and we are redoubling - Speech Link
4: None The Government are taking robust action to tackle knife crime, and other measures include a ban on zombie-style - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Baroness Doocey (LD - Life peer) In 2020, the APPG on knife crime focused on the impact of youth centre closures across the country and - Speech Link
2: Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede (Lab - Life peer) the corresponding increase in knife crime. - Speech Link
3: Lord Sharpe of Epsom (Con - Life peer) Of course, that Act also contains measures such as serious violence reduction orders as well as other - Speech Link
Asked by: Tahir Ali (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he plans to provide additional funding to help tackle (a) knife and (b) gun crime.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government remains committed to providing the resources needed to tackle violent crime. This includes taking firm action to protect the public by addressing the threat of criminals gaining access to illegal firearms including implementing legislation to prevent legally held firearms getting into the hands of criminals.
In 2023/24 we allocated £55m to Violence Reduction Units, £12.9m to support delivery of the Serious Violence Duty and £30m to ‘Grip’ hotspot policing patrols to tackle serious violence. Work is ongoing to continue this activity in 2024/25.
In the 2024 Spring Budget, the Chancellor committed an additional £75 million over 3-years from 2025 to upscale existing violence reduction units and expand activity across England and Wales, supporting a prevention first approach to serious violence.
Mentions:
1: Tobias Ellwood (Con - Bournemouth East) Violence reduction units are dedicated police units that have a proven track record of reducing knife - Speech Link
2: Laura Farris (Con - Newbury) Since 2019, we have invested £160 million in 20 violence reduction units across England and Wales, and - Speech Link
3: Laura Farris (Con - Newbury) Hospital admissions for knife crime and equivalent have fallen by 25% since 2019, and overall knife crime - Speech Link
4: Vicky Foxcroft (Lab - Lewisham, Deptford) report, which recommended violence reduction units. - Speech Link