Public services will be legally bound to work together to tackle the root causes of violent crime
The Home Office has announced that efforts to tackle serious violence and homicide have been stepped up and public services will be legally bound to work together to tackle the root causes of violent crime.
In January 2023, the Serious Violence Duty will come into effect, requiring a range of public organisations to share information locally to reduce violent crime. This will allow for a preventative approach and ensure intervention before violence occurs.
The duty has been introduced through the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act (2022), which was amended to highlight that serious violence includes domestic abuse and sexual offences.
Each locality will set their own definition of serious violence, based on what impacts their communities. Police and Crime Commissioners will bring together relevant agencies, from law enforcement to local authorities, education, health and the voluntary sector, to create a strategy targeting their area’s specific needs.
The evidence shows that this whole system approach to tackling serious violence is working. Through police, government and community efforts to tackle the crime that hits our communities the hardest, since 2019:
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90,000 dangerous weapons have been taken off our streets.
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Over 49,000 violent offences prevented and 260,000 vulnerable young people have been supported through ‘hotspot policing’ tactics and Violence Reduction Units.
In addition to this, a number of innovative projects have been awarded a share of £1.8m of government funding over the next 2 years to prevent further murders being committed, including:
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The National Police Chiefs’ Council investing in new technology such as data mining, artificial intelligence and machine learning to identify and manage likely perpetrators of domestic abuse and knife crime. They will also create a knife crime co-ordinator role, to work directly with the Home Office and forces across the country, building a national picture on knife carrying and policing best practice in this area.
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The National Crime Agency driving behavioural science research on how to stop young people being drawn to homicide.
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The College of Policing analysing ‘near-misses’, including attempted murder. This will improve understanding of trends around homicide, by increasing the number of cases available for study. They will also replicate a project by Kent Police, where domestic abuse data is shared between accident and emergency departments and police to better identify and help those at risk of lethal violence.
On 6 February 2023, techUK will be hosting the Thames Valley Violence Reduction Unit for a roundtable. To sign up, please click here.
Robert Walker
Robert Walker
Robert joined techUK in October 2022, where he is now Programme Manager for Health and Social Care.
Robert previously worked at the Pension Protection Fund, within the policy and public affairs team. Prior to this, he worked at the Scottish Parliament, advising politicians and industry stakeholders on a wide range of issues, including rural crime and health policies.
Robert has a degree in Politics and International Relations (MA Hons) from the University of Aberdeen, with a particular focus on strategic studies and energy security. Outside of work he enjoys activities such as running, rugby, boxing and cooking!
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Georgie Morgan
Georgie Morgan
Georgie joined techUK as the Justice and Emergency Services (JES) Programme Manager in March 2020, progressing to Head of Programme in January 2022. Her portfolio then expanded in January 2024 where she now leads our work across fraud and economic crime.
In her current role, Georgie leads techUK’s engagement and initiatives across the blue light and criminal justice sectors. She works closely with industry and stakeholders to drive innovation, address challenges, and anticipate future needs, while showcasing the critical role technology plays in delivering essential public safety and justice services. Through the JES programme, she provides a platform for suppliers, helping them navigate and establish themselves in the blue light and criminal justice markets.
Before joining techUK, Georgie spent four and a half years managing a Business Crime Reduction Partnership (BCRP) in Westminster. Collaborating with the Metropolitan Police and local councils, she focused on mitigating the impact of crime on the business community. Her efforts spanned addressing low-level street crime and anti-social behavior to managing critical incidents and violent crime.
- Email:
- [email protected]
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgie-henley/
