A Home Office report highlighted a fall in wounding with knives and attempted murder since the riots in England two years ago. A first year of the ending gang and youth violence programme was considered to be a success by the local priority areas, and reported benefits of the programme were accompanied by continued falls in police recorded youth violence. There were also lessons for the future. Such as: uncertainty about the programme in the next financial year (2013-14) reportedly raised concerns amongst local areas about their ability to sustain local support for gangs and youth violence prevention work (in particular, sustaining links established with the voluntary sector over the course of the programme). For the 24-page report visit the gov.uk website.
National policing lead for Gangs Deputy Chief Constable Dave Thompson, speaking for the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) said the report shows that the ending gang and youth violence strategy has had some real success. “Behind that is a fall in gang related violence over the last ten years, which is down to more effective work by police, local authorities and other agencies.
“Youth and mental health services which address the reasons why people get involved in gangs, along with provisions that help divert young people away from a gang lifestyle have an essential role to play. This report rightly recognises that an effective response to gangs must be far wider than the police alone.”
An original Ending Gang and Youth Violence report was published in November 2011 after the riots earlier in that summer. The subsequent programme re-prioritised £10 million of Home Office Funding for 29 areas identified as facing the biggest challenges in relation to youth violence and gangs. The 29 are : Barking and Dagenham, Birmingham, Brent, Camden, Croydon, Derby, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney, Haringey, Islington, Knowsley, Lambeth, Lewisham, Liverpool, Manchester, Newham, Nottingham, Oldham, Salford, Sandwell, Sheffield, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth, Westminster and Wolverhampton.
