The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today announced that one of the first actions of the new Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) will be to lead an urgent review of homicide and the most serious violent incidents in the capital.
Sadiq wants the results of the review as quickly as possible to help develop a long-term public health approach to tackling serious violence in London. The VRU will use a capital-wide review of homicide and serious violence cases to understand and establish key trends to inform its work and set out priorities. The review will help to determine where to focus attention in order to deliver early, local interventions to help reduce the spread of violence across the city.
On Monday, the Mayor chaired the first meeting of the VRU Partnership Reference Group - an advisory body that will initially focus on setting up the unit and set strategic direction and priorities, which includes leaders from the Metropolitan Police, Public Health England and other health services, criminal justice agencies, community and youth groups and local authorities. It will also be supported by members of the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit which led the approach to tackling violence initially in Glasgow more than a decade ago, and now works right across Scotland.
The Mayor wants work to get underway immediately on a review of the most serious violent incidents, which will cover cases involving violence, including all homicides, from 2014, the year serious violent crime started rising.
As part of its initial work, the unit will use data, research and knowledge from across the partnership to help tackle challenges such as street violence, knife crime and both domestic abuse and sexual violence as they are often present in the life of perpetrators of violence.
City Hall also today began advertising for a director to lead the unit. The purpose of the role is to develop a long-term partnership strategy to tackle all forms of violence across the capital, build on and expand a public health approach and lead a multi-agency response.
The aim of the VRU is to divert people away from violence by making interventions at an early age and providing young Londoners with better, positive life opportunities. Sadiq believes this approach must work alongside enforcement - which is why he continues to support the Met and its City Hall-funded Violent Crime Taskforce, which has made more than 1500 arrests and removed hundreds of knives and dangerous weapons from the streets of London.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “The reasons why violent crime is increasing in London and across the country are complex and are years in the making. There is not one simple solution or measure that will reduce levels of violence. Instead, it requires a long-term public health approach working closely across the city with a range of public authorities and charities, coupled to proper policing and enforcement.
“The Violence Reduction Unit will build on the work we have already started at City Hall on a London-wide public health approach to tackling all forms of violence. We will be drawing on the expertise and knowledge of all partners to get the unit off to the best possible start and that includes valuable insight from those that led the successful Glasgow response to violence as part of the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit. But I want to be honest with Londoners - this approach will not deliver results overnight. It is a long-term strategy which in Scotland took a decade to reduce violent crime.
“I""m pleased that all partners have agreed that the unit’s initial focus will centre on the findings of a review of homicide and serious violence cases. This will provide us with the evidence better to understand the areas of high-risk, so we can prioritise efforts and resources to tackle the areas we can make the biggest impact to reduce violence.
“I am leading London’s response to understanding the causes of violent crime and working to stop it spreading by bringing together specialists from right across the city, but we have to be clear that we could go much further and much faster with greater national investment in our public services.”
The Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service, Cressida Dick, said: “Preventing and detecting violent crime on the streets of London remains my top priority. My officers are working tirelessly day and night to identify and pursue offenders, bring perpetrators to justice, support victims, engage and reassure the public, and keep our communities safe. We have long said that the police through enforcement work alone cannot solve this problem, and the work of the Violence Reduction Unit will I’m sure be helpful in the long-term reduction in violence.”
Professor Yvonne Doyle, Health Advisor to the Mayor and Regional Director for Public Health England, said: “Developing an evidence-based public health approach allows us to build multi-agency responses focused on prevention - developing the strategy needed to ensure all Londoners can live safe and healthy lives.”
Will Linden, deputy director of the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, said: "There is a determination in London to root out the causes of violence. It will take time to understand what is driving such violence and how to effectively tackle it, solutions won""t be found overnight. However, we know that working together communities, police and services can and do save lives. Violence isn""t inevitable and can be prevented. The Scottish Violence Reduction Unit are happy to provide support and assistance as the city works together to create a safer London for all."
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