Ben Everitt, the MP for Milton Keynes North, has welcomed an additional £7 million over three years for the Thames Valley Violence Reduction Unit from the Home Office Serious Violence Fund to prevent and tackle serious violence and knife crime.
There are two separate funding pots that form the new fund:
- £5m over three years for the VRU’s programme of work to prevent young people being drawn into crime. It will fund education and mentoring work in schools, early intervention and diversion programmes.
- More than £2m over three years from the “Grip” fund. This supports Thames Valley Police to deliver additional proactive policing operations which target those areas with the highest levels of serious violence and those people who are committing violent crime and carrying weapons.
Ben Everitt, the MP for Milton Keynes North, said: "This extra funding for the Violence Reduction Unit will support with early interventions to prevent young people getting involved in crime, and will also provide extra policing support targeted at areas with high-levels of violent crime."
Matthew Barber, the Police and Crime Commissioner for the Thames Valley, commented: “Tackling serious violence and knife crime remains a priority for the police, our partners and the communities we serve.
“This is a hugely welcome announcement, not only as it commits an additional £7m to support our efforts, but as it gives us budget confidence for the next three years. This allows us to plan and invest for the longer-term, which will lead to more effective and sustainable work.”
