Nottinghamshire Police has been awarded £600k to try to steer young people away from violence.
It will also use the funding to deliver targeted enforcement activity in the county’s ‘key violence hotspots’.
The funding amounts to £588k and is part of a £130m pot unlocked by the Home Office to tackle serious violent crime – including murder and knife crime – in the coming year.
The county’s Police and Crime Commissioner Paddy Tipping today welcomed the grant.
Mr Tipping said: “I’ve been calling for additional funding to tackle serious violence for some time and news of Nottinghamshire’s slice of this investment is most welcome.
“We have forged a close-knit team with our partners and this is already delivering impressive results, with recent ONS figures confirming a four per cent reduction in knife crime across the county in the year to September 2020 – outperforming the national reduction of three per cent.
“This is always more to do, however, and those who carry knives and are intent on causing harm through violence should know there will be little place to hide with these extra resources.
“Alongside a robust enforcement response, we will continue to do everything possible through the work of the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) and our community providers to prevent young people from being drawn to violence in the first place – and supporting those already in its grip.
“I want everyone who lives, works or visits Nottinghamshire to feel safe but this is a long-term mission which requires many more resources and investment in the future.”
Gedling MP Tom Randall said the money would tackle the violent crime ‘that has been robbing too many young people of their future”.
He said: “This funding ensures our police have all of the tools and resources they need to tackle violent crime and address its underlying causes in our community, whilst also funding vital early intervention programmes that do positive preventative work with children and young people.
“By backing our police with the funding, powers and resources they need, this Conservative Government is keeping the public and our communities safe, so that residents across Gedling can live their lives free from the fear of crime.”
The funding comes ahead of the introduction of a major criminal justice bill which, among many reforms, will give police new stop and search powers to tackle known knife and weapons carriers.
