Anti-knife youth programme cash cut by £1m

FUNDING for a police programme battling to stem the tide of rising knife crime and youth violence in the West Midlands is to be cut by Government, sparking anger from police chiefs.

Cash to be allocated to West Midlands Police’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) for the next three years has been announced, revealing a cut of more than £1 million after next year.

It comes as a blow for under-pressure police chiefs in their fight to tackle violent crime as rates continue to surge in the region.

A total of £14.5 million has been allocated to the VRU, spread over the next three years.

But the total amount West Midlands Police can apply for will fall from £5.8 million in 2022/23 to £4.3 million in 2023/24.

The VRU was launched in 2019 and aims to prevent youth violence, including through work with vulnerable kids in schools.

Police chiefs agree such schemes can prove crucial in preventing troubled teens in becoming involved in gangs and crime.

The scheme sees reformed criminals speaking with pupils police officers based in schools to support pupils at risk of exclusion.

The VRU has also seen youth workers placed in hospital A&E departments to offer support to young people who may be mixed up in trouble and want a way out.

West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster (Labour) said: “Overall, this level of funding is not in line with either the rising costs of delivering services or the steep increases in poverty and deprivation our communities are experiencing.

“The VRU supported more than 10,500 young people between April and December last year.

“Each of those young people are entitled to that support to be consistent, which is why I have underwritten the VRU services to keep them open until the government grant comes through.”

He added: “I’m pleased with the progress that our partnership has made this year. I welcome this indication of investment in the violence reduction unit but activity this important should not be subject to stop-start funding, changing requirements and last-minute government announcements.”

Despite disappointment at the funding cut from police chiefs, Robert James, director of city operations for Birmingham City Council, said the VRU would continue to make a difference.

He said: “Everyone should feel safe wherever they live and work. This funding will provide the necessary resource for the partnership between the City Council, West Midlands Police, the Violence Reduction Unit and the community, to make this a reality for young people across the city.”

Helen Paterson, chief executive of Walsall Council, said: “Over 600 people are already actively involved with the VRU in community networks across the region, and we’d like to see that grow, including branching out into other places where levels of need are high.”