Violence Reduction. In response to the Government’s national Serious Violence Strategy, the Kent Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) introduced a Violence Reduction Challenge (VRC) in 2018, a year-long study into the challenges around reducing violence. The PCC worked with victims, residents, charities, statutory bodies and others to learn about people’s experiences of violent crime, its causes and how it can be tackled as well as challenging Partner agencies to look at opportunities to address this issue. In 2019, the OPCC was successful in being awarded Home Office funding to set up a multi-agency Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) in Kent to deliver a range of violence reduction projects. The VRU remains in place and has recently been awarded a three year funding settlement until March 2025. Some of the key challenges for partners in relation to violence include the implementation of the new Serious Violence duty (see 3.10) and tackling the issue of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) (see 3.2).
Violence Reduction. In response to the Government’s national Serious Violence Strategy, the Kent Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) introduced a Violence Reduction Challenge (VRC) in 2018, a year-long study into the challenges around reducing violence. The PCC worked with victims, residents, charities, statutory bodies and others to learn about people’s experiences of violent crime, its causes and how it can be tackled as well as challenging Partner agencies to look at opportunities to address this issue. As a result of this work the PCC set up a Violence Reduction Fund in 2019/20 to tackle violence in the county and requested that the Crime Reduction Grant funding provided to Community Safety Partnerships in Kent and Medway by the PCC has a particular focus around tackling violence. Coupled with this, in 2019, the OPCC was successful in being awarded Home Office funding to set up a Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) in Kent to deliver a range of violence reduction projects. The VRU is a partnership between police, local councils, health service providers and other key agencies to deliver a reduction in violence in the county.
Violence Reduction. Levels of violence have increased across the prisons estate, particularly during the 2013-14 and 2014-15 business years. NOMS has established a two-year broad-based Violence Reduction Project, building on the earlier Violence Management policy review, to understand, address and reverse this increase and support safer prisons through a coherent Violence Reduction Strategy combining a policy framework with practical operational solutions that can be tailored to local threats, risks and needs. In recognition that prisoner violence is a system-wide issue, the Violence Reduction Project is working in partnership between public and private providers as well as the commissioning, policy and operational arms of NOMS. PSP will contribute to the development and implementation of the Violence Reduction Project.
