£5 million targeted for knife and gun crime

£5 million targeted for knife and gun crime

LONDON, May 22, 2008/3mnewswire.org/ -- Home Secretary Jacqui Smith today outlined £5 million to tackle violent crime with new action to crack down on knives in known hotspots across the country. She also pledged further support for four areas spearheading work to tackle gun crime and serious violence.

Speaking at a conference in Birmingham to celebrate local progress in tackling gang violence, she announced the new funding as early findings from the Government's Tackling Gangs Action Programme (TGAP) showed a 51 percent drop in recorded gun-related injuries across the four areas involved.

Building on the successful approach of targeting areas where the problem is most serious, the Home Secretary committed extra cash for the police, local authorities and communities to support intensified action on knife crime. It will involve targeting about ten hotspots and working with police forces, including the Metropolitan Police, to introduce more knife search arches, increase the targeted use of stop and search and work with the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure that those carrying knives are prosecuted. This will also support community projects like Be Safe to show young people the risks and consequences of carrying a knife.

As part of the Government's strategy to rid our streets of weapons, the Home Secretary also outlined part of the forthcoming knife marketing campaign which will include adverts in women's weekly magazines encouraging mums to talk about knives with their children. Alongside this she launched a new good practice guide for local agencies to help them tackle gang-related crime across all communities.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said:

"I set up the Tackling Gangs Action Programme last September because I was convinced that by focusing our activities on local hotspots, we could make progress on an area of crime that devastates families, communities and neighbourhoods.

"I want to go further and we will be taking forward work to provide witnesses with early certainty that their identity will be protected and that they can give evidence safely; stopping guns from coming into the country and providing safe housing and education opportunities for young people leaving gangs.

"These early findings are encouraging, which is why I want to spread this approach to knife crime and build on what works. I'm determined that we do all we can to get all weapons off our streets and investing £5m today to target knife hotspots across the country. I hope communities will welcome the increased use of knife arches and stop and search to protect their young people."

Head of the Tackling Gangs Action Programme and ACPO national coordinator for serious and organised crime Jon Murphy said:

"ACPO welcomes the Home Secretary's continued commitment to tackling violent gun and gang crime, including the involvement of seconded staff to ensure continued input from police officers with hands-on experience of the issues. There is no quick solution to these complex issues: enforcement alone is not sufficient and partnerships with local community organisations are crucial to success. Close working with other agencies, too, is important, and for instance the commitment of SOCA and Customs to bring increased focus to bear on trafficking in weapons is particularly welcome.

"The programme provided an opportunity to bring together the good work that has been taking place up and down the country. Over the period of the programme all areas have seen improvements and the extra resources announced today will help ensure that progress continues. Thanks are due to the four cities, their communities and police forces, for their engagement and commitment."

The Department for Children, Schools and Families today also launched guidance for schools on how to reduce the risks of gang related problems and how to deal with any incidents that do occur, with the help of external partners.

The guidance takes forward the work the Department for Children Schools and Families is doing in preventing at-risk young people from behaviour which impacts on their life chances and those of others by offering positive activities, and support services and developing extended schools.

Children and Young People's Minister Beverley Hughes said:

"As the only truly universal service for children and young people, schools are uniquely placed to spot the early signs of pupil involvement in gangs, and to work collaboratively with other agencies to tackle it.

"The guidance I am launching today provides straightforward advice to schools about what to look for, and how to reduce risks of pupils becoming involved with gangs.

"The safety of teachers is crucially important and the guidance is clear that heads and teachers should never put themselves at risk in any way. But schools can be an important 'first line of response' - helping us to identify those at risk and provide them with the specialist support they need to resist gang culture."

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