News story: Home Office hosts first serious violence event in London

The Crime Minister, Victoria Atkins, has today (Monday 8 October) hosted the first in a series of monthly events taking place across the country, aimed at tackling serious violence.

The events, led by Home Office ministers, will bring together local partners to take action against serious violence in communities. They will be used to raise awareness of the government’s Serious Violence Strategy which places local action at its core. The events will also highlight the national and regional support available, discuss local action already underway and spot new opportunities to work together to tackle serious violence.

Over 100 partners from police, health, education, social services, youth offending services, housing, local authorities, and the voluntary sector attended today’s London event at Coin Street Community Centre.

Today’s event takes place a week after the Home Secretary Sajid Javid announced a new package of measures to tackle violent crime including a consultation on a new legal duty to underpin a ‘public health’ approach, a £200 million youth endowment fund, and a review into middle-class drug use.

Speaking at the event, the Minister for Crime, Victoria Atkins said:

Local communities are at the heart of our response to the troubling rise in serious violence and I’m delighted so many people could attend today’s event.

The energy and commitment in the room to work together and do everything possible to tackle this issue was inspiring and I’m excited to see the results.

The government is determined to crack down on violent crime and I look forward to visiting many more communities in the coming months and learning about their vital work.

Head of Youth and Community Programmes at Coin Street Community, Natalie Bell said:

These events are really important in order to share the complexity of the issues surrounding youth violence. It has to be dealt with collaboratively and with shared resources, common goals, and a long-term commitment.

I am very hopeful that the conferences hosted by the Home Office will meaningfully join up thinking and alter attitudes that label young people as negative members of society rather than the results of their increasingly difficult environments.

It is vital that young people are always part of the conversation and given the chance to be leaders and designers of solutions. I would like to see young people present at future events.

Other speakers at the event included London’s Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime Sophie Linden, Chief Executive of Islington Borough Council Lesley Seary and Commander Mark McEwan from the Metropolitan Police Service.

These events form part of the delivery of the 61 commitments in the Serious Violence Strategy and the government’s commitment to working with communities to strengthen responses to the issue ensuring everything is being done to protect young people from harm.