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<p>Tackling serious violence including knife crime is a top priority for the Government
and it is clear we must continue to step up the response to stop this violence. The
Serious Violence Strategy, published in April 2018 sets out the Government’s approach,
which depends also on a multi-agency approach across several sectors and stresses
the importance of early intervention to tackle the root causes.</p><p>It also sets
out a significant programme of work including the following:</p><p>• Early Intervention
Youth Fund of £22 million<br>• £1.5 million for the anti-knife crime Community Fund<br>•
£3.6 million we have provided for the establishment of the new <br> National County
Lines Coordination Centre<br>• £1.4 million to support a new national police capability
to tackle gang <br> related activity on social media <br>• Support to the #knifefree
national knife crime media campaign<br>• The Offensive Weapons Bill currently passing
through Parliament</p><p>In addition, we are supporting police forces to tackle knife
crime under Operation Sceptre</p><p>On 2 October 2018 the Home Secretary also announced
that the Government will: deliver a new £200 million youth endowment fund over 10
years and will support interventions with children and young people at risk of involvement
in crime and violence; conduct an independent review of drug misuse, to be conducted
by Dame Carole Black, which will ensure law enforcement agencies and policy are targeting
and preventing the drug-related causes of violent crime effectively; and consult on
a new legal duty to support a multi-agency or ‘public health’ approach to preventing
and tackling serious violence.</p><p>The consultation will explore different options
to make multi-agency working more effective than at present and will seek to identify
best practice. The consultation will be launched shortly</p><p>Further, the Chancellor
of the Exchequer announced on 13 March that an additional £100 million funding in
19/20 will help in the police’s immediate response to the rise in serious knife crime,
enabling priority forces to immediately begin planning to put in place the additional
capacity they need. The funding will also be invested in Violence Reduction Units,
bringing together a range of agencies including health, education, social services
and others, to develop a multi-agency approach in preventing knife crime altogether.</p>
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