'I have seen firsthand the impact of serious violence on families'

Fewer families being torn apart by violent crime will be the measure of success for a new government-funded unit, according to West Yorkshire's most senior police officer.
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Chief Constable John Robins said he had high expectations for West Yorkshire Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), one of 18 such units now in place across the country.

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Speaking at the official launch in Leeds, he said: "The outcomes, the results, what we actually want to see from the VRU are less harm, less death, less injury, less families ripped apart by violence."

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He said the police were only one part of the solution to tackling violent crime, with a change in attitudes from communities and wider society also key factors.

The unit was formed last year after West Yorkshire's Police and Crime Commissioner, Mark Burns-Williamson, successfully bid for funding from the Home Office’s Serious Violence Fund.

It will bringing together police, local government, public health, voluntary and third sector, community leaders and other key partners to tackle violent crime and understand its underlying causes.

Mr Burns-Williamson said: "Serious violence blights our communities locally and nationally and although the impact is often felt in large cities, we know the problem reaches further into towns and rural areas as well."

Police work at the scene of a stabbing in Boar Lane, Leeds, in May 2018. Picture: Bruce RollinsonPolice work at the scene of a stabbing in Boar Lane, Leeds, in May 2018. Picture: Bruce Rollinson
Police work at the scene of a stabbing in Boar Lane, Leeds, in May 2018. Picture: Bruce Rollinson
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He said all organisations involved must be realistic about the challenges that lay ahead but he was confident the VRU and this new way of working together would provide long-term solutions.

Reducing knife crime involving those aged 25 and under is among the national priorities, with local priorities including diverting young people away from violence, the impact of domestic abuse and support for all victims and witnesses of violence.

Helen Christmas, from Public Health England, told the audience at the Bridge Community Church that a public health approach to crime must examine the root causes such as housing, poverty, education and childhood experiences.

"The reality is we do an awful lot of reacting, an awful lot of fire fighting," she said. "That squeezes out the opportunity to do the early intervention and prevention.

Chief Constable John Robins, of West Yorkshire Police. Picture: Tony JohnsonChief Constable John Robins, of West Yorkshire Police. Picture: Tony Johnson
Chief Constable John Robins, of West Yorkshire Police. Picture: Tony Johnson
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"For each of us here, whatever our particular expertise or experience or what we can offer, it's about what positive difference we can make to people's lives - and if we do that together, then we're doing our jobs."

It was a point echoed by VRU director Louise Hackett, who said: "Violence is preventable, it's not inevitable.

"For us, it's about being evidence-led, really understanding the causes of the problem, identifying what really works. By working together, we can do so much more."

West Yorkshire's Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Burns-Williamson. Picture: Simon HulmeWest Yorkshire's Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Burns-Williamson. Picture: Simon Hulme
West Yorkshire's Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Burns-Williamson. Picture: Simon Hulme
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'I have seen firsthand the impact of serious violence on families'

A number of speakers acknowledged that 'arresting our way out of the problem' was not the solution in the longer term since this is too often about reacting after people have become the victims of violence.

But the £4.02m of so-called 'surge' money awarded by the Home Office to West Yorkshire Police last year to tackle violent crime has still come as a welcome boost out on the ground.

Detective Superintendent Chris Gibson, one of the officers leading this area of work, told the audience: "I've seen firsthand the impact of serious violence on families, young people.

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"I've been in the unenviable position of having to tell families that loved ones have been stabbed, murdered, killed."

He said each of West Yorkshire's five districts faced different challenges when it comes to violence, with Leeds, Bradford and Kirklees seeing the effects of an increase in activity by organised crime groups.

Figures published by the Office for National Statistics for 2017/18 showed West Yorkshire had the highest rate of violence per 10,000 people outside of London.

While the force's standards for the recording of crime - recognised by independent inspectors as 'outstanding' - are widely accepted to be a factor in those high figures, it is also acknowledged that some of this was down to an actual increase in violent crime.

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The additional funding has allowed the force to run Programme Precision and Operation Jemlock, which focus on organised crime and knife crime respectively.

Jemlock has seen officers carrying out high visibility activity such as setting up knife arches at bus stations and nightclubs or carrying out sweeps for weapons in parks, and carrying out test purchasing operations to ensure shops are not selling knives to under 18s.

The use of stop and search powers when someone is suspected of carrying a weapon has formed another strand of the work.

It has resulted in 2,238 arrests being made, 144 weapons being seized and 4,156 pieces of intelligence being submitted since April 2019.

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According to the force's own figures, there have been 196 fewer crimes involving knives and 474 fewer robberies in that time.

Superintendent Damon Solley, another of the lead officers, said: "Each and every one of those represents one less victim."

The Home Secretary last week confirmed that there would be further ‘surge’ funding for 18 police forces, including West Yorkshire, to continue the enforcement work.

'It takes time to change a mindset'

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Funding has been awarded already to 35 projects working across West Yorkshire or within one of the five districts - Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield.

Among the projects receiving funding for its work with schools in south and west Leeds is SOS - Second Chance, a collaboration between the police and St Giles Trust.

It involves people with personal experience of violence and gang culture providing group sessions and one-to-one mentoring for children in Pupil Referral Units.

Case worker Anthony Bartholomew had become involved in drug dealing and was stabbed six years ago, almost dying and losing the use of his right hand as a result.

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"I've had to battle post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, anger and depression," he said. "It takes time to change a mindset, to move forward and overcome obstacles.

"Sometimes when you have to look at the journey ahead, it can be overwhelming. The young people work with often can't see the options available to them."

He said being involved in running knife crime awareness sessions and mentoring had given purpose to the things he had gone through, adding: "Being able to help all these individuals through challenging situations of their own is rewarding."

Also receiving funding is the Premier League Kicks programme run by the Leeds United Foundation, which worked with more than 180 pupils at Corpus Christi Catholic College in east Leeds.

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Focused on early intervention, the day-long programme at the secondary school challenged the normalisation of youth violence.

One pupil who took part said: "I never really liked the police before. The experiences and the knowledge I got on the day really changed my mind about police officers. I learned their main objective is to keep people safe.

"It made me realise to think more about the choices I make and make sure that I can thrive in my own career and be the best I can be."