Funding worth nearly £1 million to tackle serious violence in Peterborough and Cambridgeshire welcomed

Police and Crime Commissioner Darryl Preston has welcomed a new plan to help reduce the risk of people being drawn into violence and to protect communities from the wider impact of serious violence.

The ‘Serious Violence Partnership Strategy’ published at the end of January formalises how local partners will work together to prevent and reduce serious violence in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

In 2023-24 the PCC has awarded £350,000 of Home Office serious violence funding to a range of projects designed to keep communities and young people safe and prevent them from being involved in violence through early intervention. The projects underway include:

Additional specialist support from youth workers working with young people in local communities.

Knife Crime Awareness Project in Peterborough, working with local groups and Cambridgeshire Constabulary to educate, promote discussion, and raise awareness of the risks associated with knife crime.

Firebreak programmes with young people to engage them in practical and scenario-based skills training exercises linked to firefighting, while raising awareness of the risks associated with knife crime, arson, drug use and county lines.

Knife crime awareness workshops in HMP Peterborough to address the causes and consequences of knife-related incidents, to prevent reoffending.

In 2024/25 the PCC expects to award nearly £600,000 further Home Office serious violence funding to build on this work. For example, across each community safety partnership area, proposals are being developed for after school diversionary activity.

Darryl said: “Serious violence, including that linked to knife crime, drugs, and County Lines, has a devastating impact on the lives of victims, their families, and the wider community. While Cambridgeshire and Peterborough do not experience the same levels of violence as other areas of the country, sadly, we are not immune to it.

“As stated in my Police and Crime Plan, I am a firm believer that prevention is always better than cure. Prevention, cannot, however, be achieved by policing alone. To make a lasting impact on the lives of our young people, we, as a local partnership, must work collaboratively, use our individual expertise to greatest effect, and support intervention at the earliest possible opportunity.

“Through the Home Office Serious Violence Duty funding, local partners have begun delivering a range of interventions that aim to prevent and reduce serious violence. I particularly welcome the increased provision for our young people and am encouraged by how positively the programmes that are already underway have been engaged with.”

Assistant Chief Constable Vicki Evans said: “Prevention is at the heart of reducing serious violence, and it is vital we focus our collective efforts to tackle the causes of this harm in our community. Within Cambridgeshire and Peterborough we have extensive existing partnership arrangements, therefore the new Serious Violence Partnership Strategy builds on this work and is an opportunity for local partnerships to work together and with our communities to help keep them safe.

“We know that prevention and problem-solving work in the partnership arena is an excellent tool to tackle challenging issues such as Serious Violence involving young people or linked to drugs. I look forward to seeing the impact that this coordinated activity will have on reducing harm in our communities.”