Police and Crime Commissioner Kim McGuinness has announced new plans to help find work for those at risk of criminality as a key step to reducing the number of victims in Northumberland, Tyne and Wear.

The new jobs scheme forms a key part of her flagship policing plan for the region, focused on Fighting Poverty, Fighting Crime.

Her Violence Reduction Unit has teamed up with the Co-op, in its aim to help find work for women and young people who might otherwise turn to shoplifting or other crimes.

In a ground-breaking new project, the Commissioner has backed the coaching programme in order to stop crime before it starts.

This programme seeks to work with individuals over a 6 month period, and has seen 10 women, with custody or community probation supervision, having benefitted from one-to-one sessions through the support of an experienced business coach.

The programme, which results in an interview with the Co-op if requested, is aimed at those who want to make a difference in their life and are able to fully commit to the workshops and coaching sessions.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness said “This is a fantastic example of how an organisation is supporting people in our region. A job can turn lives around – and this exciting new programme aims to do just that. By addressing the barriers to employment, offering support to re-build confidence and explore new skills, those in most need will have positive aspirations for the future and be diverted from a life of crime”.

She added, “The Violence Reduction Unit continues to engage those most at risk of becoming a victim or committing serious violence and we are doing everything we can to break the cycle of criminality by improving lives. Having a job provides that sense of purpose and achievement – it can help stop poverty and crime. That’s why I’m calling for more businesses to get involved and provide opportunities for people in our region”.

Co-op Director of Campaigning and Public Affairs, Paul Gerrard said: “We are delighted to support the Commissioner’s plan and play our part in helping people to rebuild their confidence and lives. We strongly believe that business has a vital role to play in building stronger and safer communities, and even more importantly, that everyone should be supported to reach their full potential”.

The Police Commissioner recently launched her new plan for the region, Fighting Poverty, Fighting Crime. In this she set out how her number one priority is more police recruits.

But with limited Government funds and only around half the force’s 1,100 lost officer numbers replaced by Government, the Police Commissioner has made preventing crime a key focus.

For more information please contact the Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit by email vru@northumbria-pcc.gov.uk

As it heads into its fourth year, PCC Kim McGuinness’ Violence Reduction Unit has announced how it plans to ramp up its successful work that has seen a 30 per cent fall in young people re-offending across Northumberland, Tyne and Wear.

Last year, following lockdown and the re-opening of the night-time economy, serious violence increased by 27% but is starting to fall with figures showing a 9% reduction from November, and the Commissioner wants to see everything possible being done to keep pushing this figure down

The Violence Reduction Unit’s fourth year plan will work see it:

• use data and intelligence to target hotspot areas.
• work closely with the whole of the family of repeat offenders to tackle violence.
• build on community-based interventions and diversionary activities to reduce vulnerability and tackle offending.
• Educate young people on the dangers and consequences of violent crime to help prevent them becoming involved.

Since Kim McGuinness set up the Violence Reduction Unit in 2019, the force area has seen a continued fall in re-offending rates, with offences committed by young people showing the most significant drop of almost 30%.

Building on the positive work to date, the Violence Reduction Unit’s interventions continue to show impact with:

• 75% of those engaging in the custody diversion project have reduced involvement with the Criminal Justice System and plans to help keep out of trouble.
• 68% of young people on the YOLO programme have not offended since.
• 62% of those on the Employment and Women’s Pathways have not re-offended since.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness said: “I’ve set out a clear commitment to fight poverty and to fight crime and the work of the Violence Reduction Unit is so crucial when it comes to preventing crime and improving the lives of those who are most vulnerable to exploitation.

“Sadly, where poverty is most prevalent we tend to see more victims of violence and that’s not fair – but we cannot just arrest our way out the problem. That’s where the Violence Reduction Unit comes in, helping people at risk of becoming a victim or becoming drawn into crime. A lot of the community and intervention work is about getting to the bottom of the underlying causes of serious violence. And we have a brilliant team who go into schools educate kids. This work, along with diversionary activities – the clubs, the sports, the mentors – it’s about showing people a life without crime”.

Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit Director, Steven Hume said: “The North East is a phenomenal place to live and work and we want to make sure it remains a safe place too. That is why we are taking such a radical approach to tackling violent crime and reducing the risks for those most vulnerable to exploitation, before issues we are seeing on a national scale become a problem here. We know that we can’t resolve issues overnight, which is why our plan is for the long-term, working collaboratively with our partners so that we can continue to identify areas in most need of action, engage with communities, provide diversionary activities and educate young people.

In a recent survey, Ipsos MORI found that for every £1 invested in Violence Reduction Units, £3 is saved to the public purse. The most recent local evaluation conducted on year 2 activities showed savings of £7.5 million per year.

For more information please contact the Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit by email vru@northumbria-pcc.gov.uk

The Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit has announced today that it will continue to make an impact on reducing serious violence through a further investment of over £7 million in the next 3 years.

This builds on the positive work to date which has seen serious violence levels reduce with a 9% drop since November as well as hospital admissions caused by assaults with sharp objects down by 11.5% in Northumberland, Tyne and Wear.

The Violence Reduction Units funded interventions continue to show impact within our communities, notably:

• 75% of those engaging in the custody diversion project have reduced involvement with the Criminal Justice System and an action plan for the future.
• 68% of young people who engaged with the YOLO programme have not offended since exiting the intervention.
• 62% of those who complied with the Employment and Women’s Pathways have not re-offended since accessing the interventions.

As it embarks on its fourth year, the Violence Reduction Unit will continue to focus on providing community-based interventions in areas of most need, engaging young people to reduce their risk of being involved in crime and working with the whole family to tackle issues of violence.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness said: “I have made a commitment to ‘Fight Poverty, Fight Crime’, as sadly, we know that large proportions of violence occur in areas where poverty is most prevalent. We cannot just arrest our way out the problem – instead we must address the underlying causes, educate young people and prevent individuals from re-offending. Through the Violence Reduction Unit we are committed to doing just that and with this guaranteed investment over the next 3 years; we can target more individuals at risk of becoming a victim or before they are drawn into crime”.

She added: “I will continue to lobby Government for vital funding that will allow us to truly make a difference in our region”.

Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit Director, Steven Hume said: “In order to tackle serious violence, you need to have a long-term strategy and this investment will provide us with some certainty over the next 3 years to continue delivering such vital work in our region. We are committed to reducing serious violence and vulnerability and have made significant progress to date but this is a long term approach and there is more work to be done. That is why we are taking such a radical approach in tackling the root causes of violent crime and addressing the offending behaviour of those causing the most disruption in our communities.

For more information, contact the Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit by email vru@northumbria-pcc.gov.uk

MANY kids who have a brush with the law are just bored, says Northumbria’s Police Kim McGuinness as she funds Easter break diversionary activities through her Operation Payback Scheme to help reduce the number of anti-social behaviour victims.

The Commissioner, who recently launched her ‘Fighting Poverty, Fighting Crime’ plan, has warned young people living in poverty in the North-East are especially vulnerable during school holiday times and that it can be the worst time for struggling families.

Inspire Youth in Tyne and Wear are one local organisation benefitting from Operation Payback – a fund Kim McGuinness launched to help grass root causes and support the work of Northumbria Police by re-investing cash seized from criminals back into local communities. The aim being to help prevent crime and reduce the number of ASB victims through-out the force area.

Using part of their £5,000 funding, Inspire Youth will be providing diversionary activities such as sport, games and art during the Easter holidays. The plans are being ran by two girls’ groups in Newbiggin and West Denton and are dedicated to tackling anti-social behaviour and substance misuse and encourage young people to get involved in positive activities.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, said: “Nobody wants trouble on their street, in the park or on the bus – it’s not acceptable – but the vast majority of people tell me they prefer to prevent ASB from happening, rather than handing out punishments when it does.

“Kids that go off the rails and land themselves in bother often do so as there aren’t other opportunities for them. The holidays are anything but a holiday for these kids, these families and so we need to be giving them things to do, things they enjoy and things that don’t have a hefty price tag – one family’s holiday is another family’s rent. Youth diversion activities like Inspire Youth are offering are the answer. They are exactly the type of thing I hoped Operation Payback would be able to help with when it launched last year.

“We have the two wonderful football foundations in our region too- The Foundation of Light and Newcastle United Foundation – I know they’re always great at having a busy line up of activities for young people during the holidays.

“We know ASB reports increase during the school holidays but the more we can give kids an alternative, the fewer victims of crime there will be. Juggling childcare or the supervision of teenagers when you’re trying to hold down a job to pay the bills when there is a cost of living crisis going on is no easy task. Knowing where your children are is sometimes not as simple as it sounds.

“Government needs to step up when it comes to youth services, not just during the holidays but all year round. If they won’t fund our police force properly to pick up the pieces when kids have got up to no good they need to give kids meaningful things to do with their time like sports and social clubs – anything to stop them being drawn into criminality.”

She added: “Sometimes, just having a free club to go to can make all the difference. Kids get bored. Those wandering the streets will often tell officers, they have nowhere to go, nothing to do. Well let’s give them something to do, to keep them busy, something to enjoy and where there are positive role models. We need youth services and to fight crime we need to fight poverty.”

Michelle Mitchell from Inspire Youth, said: “Through the funding from the PCC we have been able to set up and deliver Girl’s group sessions which are vital for our girls to give them a safe space where they are able to overcomes adversaries, traumas and many other issues whilst learning life skills, socialising, meeting new friends and having fun in a relaxed and calm environment.

“The PCC also supports the other sessions we deliver for young people which not only gives them a place where they have a voice, can be heard but it assists in the community through reducing ASB, breaking down barriers and enhancing the areas through the projects we deliver.

“Without funding our future generation would not have the opportunity to have youth sessions, learn vital life skills, socialise and get fed in safe and fun environments, they need sustainability and a place to go to where they can be young people.”

The Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit today announced it has awarded over £12,000, directly engaging at least 1300 young people through a fund aimed at reducing violence.

The Local Youth Fund offers young people the opportunity to bid for activities or projects that matter to them and make a difference to the communities they live in. By developing their own project, young people are building confidence, experience and skills for use in daily life.

The fund continues to be shaped by young people, who are responsible for reviewing applications and providing recommendations for funding. This round received 38 applications from young people across Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, with 24 projects to receive funding.

The successful applicants cover a range of projects, including re-engaging with education and training, outdoor activities, increasing safety and a forum for children with additional needs and disabilities.

The organisations supporting the successful applicants include:

• AutismAble
• Clegwell and Hartleyburn Positive Activities Group
• Cycling Minds
• Easington Lane and Sunderland City Council
• Far Association of Residence
• Hat-Trick Project
• Humankind
• New Beginnings North
• NE Youth
• North East Sport
• Northumbria Police
• South Tyneside Youth Service
• SPARCS
• Stakeford and Bomarsund Sporting Welfare
• Streetgames
• TheChev Gateshead Ltd
• Tyneside Outdoors
• Westerhope United Football Club

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, said: “I am so proud of our region’s young people for responding to this opportunity to tell us what is important to them in their local area. The Violence Reduction Unit recognise the importance of giving young people opportunities and have put them right at the heart of this unique fund – it is a fund designed by young people and for young people. I can’t stress enough how important it is that we continue to engage our young people now to ensure they have the right support and opportunities to make positive decisions for the future.”

Joanne Vance, Chief Executive of New Beginnings North, said: “We supported two young people who have been successful with the Violence Reduction Unit’s Local Youth Fund. The difference that this funding will make is a life of re-engaging with education, training and employment instead of a life of crime. They could have ended up with a criminal record, been at risk of child exploitation and criminal activity but now with this funding they are both re-engaging with education and training. When we told them they had been successful, they were ecstatic and just so pleased that someone actually believed in them.”

For more information on the Local Youth Fund, please contact the Violence Reduction Unit by email VRU@northumbria-pcc.gov.uk.

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PCC Kim McGuinness: The North East’s only dedicated Violence Reduction Unit sets out plan to cut crime.

The Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit is taking a radical new approach to combat violent crime in Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, as it embarks on its fourth year.

The Unit will work with young people and troubled families to make it clear there is an alternative to violence and crime.

This comes as levels of serious violent crime and knife enabled offences increased during November before seeing a 13% decline in December.

Now, Police Commissioner Kim McGuinness has set out how the specialist unit will help fight crime and tackle the effects of poverty on hard hit families  in the North East.

As well as building on the positive work to date, the plan for the next year of action will include:

• Engage young people to divert them from offending and reduce their risk of being involved in crime.
• Focus on the continued importance of community-based interventions, involving individuals with lived experience in specialist help centres.
• Work direct with the whole family to tackle issues of violence, through community-based interventions.
• Target interventions in areas of most need.  

Some of the fantastic results, through vital mentoring programmes like YOLO, have seen 48 young people with reduced risk of committing serious and violent crime, 66 young people no longer on the police radar and 18 young people reporting increased feelings of safety.

The Violence Reduction Unit continues to make a positive impact on the individuals it supports. With early intervention as a priority, its dedicated education team have delivered 272 awareness sessions to 5622 young people in areas of most need, over the last few months.

Over 800 frontline staff have now received specialist awareness training to better support young people on the cusp of, or involved in knife crime. Staff feel they are able to better support the young people in their care thanks to the information on spotting the signs, the laws around carrying and using a knife, and the support services available.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness said: “No-one should be become the victim of violent crime. That’s why it’s so important for the Violence Reduction Unit to intervene and deter individuals from crime at the earliest opportunity. We cannot just arrest our way out the problem – instead we must continue to educate young people, upskill our professionals and provide that vital support for those individuals and families in most need”.

She added, “By increasing the number of people who know what to look out for, we can support more people before they are exploited or get involved in crime.”

Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit Director, Steven Hume said: “We are committed to reducing serious violence and vulnerability in our region. In the last three years, we have made significant progress but we know there is always more work to do and challenges to overcome. That is why we are taking such a radical approach to tackling the root causes of violent crime and address the offending behaviour of those causing the most disruption to our communities”.

 ENDS