Window opens to new ideas for tackling serious violence

• Home Office Serious Violence Duty (SVD) grants will enable police forces to work more closely with local authorities, youth support services, prison, probation and other relevant bodies to reduce serious violence
• the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner has the mandate for allocating Gloucestershire Constabulary’s share of the funding, which is just over a quarter of a million pounds
• so-called ‘specified authorities’, which include local authorities, prison, probation and youth services, will put forward their ideas for using the money
• Neil Smith, the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Strategic Violence Prevention Coordinator, said: “The police cannot reduce crime and serious violence on their own. Hopefully SVD grants will bring the right agencies together to develop the right solutions”.

Public sector organisations in Gloucestershire have been awarded more than a quarter of a million pounds with the aim of reducing serious violence in the county.

The Home Office has allocated grant funding through its Serious Violence Duty (SVD) to enable each police force in the country to work more closely with local authorities, youth support services, prison, probation and other relevant bodies.

Gloucestershire Constabulary’s share is £256,595.00.

Neil Smith, the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Strategic Violence Prevention Coordinator, said: “We know from experience, the ripple effect of how serious crime and violence destroys lives.

“And though, by any standard, Gloucestershire is a safe place with few of the problems facing the bigger urban centres, we cannot ignore evidence that shows early support is vital for helping young people stay on the right track and break the cycle of violence.

“The police can’t do it on their own so hopefully the introduction of SVD will bring the right agencies together to develop the right solutions”.

SVD requires ‘specified authorities’ to work together to prevent and reduce serious violence as defined in legislation and other statutory guidance*.  It was introduced as part of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 and places a legal obligation on public sector organisations, such as the police and local authorities, to work closer together with the support of police and crime commissioners to tackle the root causes of serious violence and prevent unnecessary deaths. It stresses the importance of early intervention to stop young people from being drawn into knife crime and serious violence.

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) has the mandate for allocating the funding to the bodies with the best ideas, in collaboration with the specified authorities. The application period for 2023/24 submissions closed today, but applications for 2024/25 remain open until 5pm on Friday 17^th November 2023.

Police and Crime Commissioner Chris Nelson said, “The causes of violence can often be deep-rooted and complicated, so I am pleased the government is supporting local areas to implement the Serious Violence Duty and fund imaginative projects built around the many and varied needs of young people.

“I hope this money will be used wisely to engage young people in their local communities, help them feel safer in public spaces and avoid the risks and bad advice associated with violence and crime.”