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<p>This Government is determined to turn the tide on knife crime in all areas, wherever
it occurs. Across England and Wales, we are recruiting 20,000 more police officers
over the next three years and increasing sentences for violent criminals. We have
made it easier for the police to use enhanced stop and search powers and we will introduce
a new court order, Serious Violence Reduction Orders, to make it easier for the police
to stop and search those who have been convicted of knife crime. In addition, we have
legislated through the Offensive Weapons Act 2019 to give the police more powers and
to ensure knives are less likely to make their way on to the streets and we will introduce
new Knife Crime Prevention Orders, a preventative order which will provide an additional
tool for police to help steer those most at risk away from serious violence. We will
also be introducing new legislation to place a duty on the police, councils and health
authorities to work together to prevent and tackle serious violence.</p><p>Over the
last 12 months, we have increased police funding, by £1 billion this year and announced
that the amount of funding available to the policing system in 2020 to 2021 will increase
by more than £1.1 billion. Sussex Police have received £309.9 Million in 2020-21,
an increase of 7.6% from 2019-20 and have recruited 114 additional officers under
uplift (as at end of June 2020).</p><p>We have also announced a targeted £25 million
to tackle county lines drug gangs, given the links between drugs, county lines and
serious violence.</p><p>This government has committed £76.5 million in 2020/21 to
address the drivers of serious violence at the local level and significantly bolster
the police response in the 18 Police Force areas most affected by serious violence
across England and Wales. This builds on the £100 million invested in the previous
year. Of this, Sussex Police has been allocated £2.2 million over two years to pay
for a surge in police operational activity, such as increased patrols in greater numbers
for longer periods of times, as well as new equipment and technology, improved intelligence
and targeting, and an enhanced investigative response. A further £1.8m from the Fund
was invested in developing Sussex Police’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU).</p><p>VRUs
will be distributing a further £2.9 million to hundreds of frontline charities working
on violence prevention projects which support vulnerable children and young people.
More than 300 charities will share in the financial assistance, which is part of the
£750 million package of support for charities announced by the Chancellor in April.
Sussex VRU received £74,720 and is also supporting 9 charities.</p><p>In addition
to the Serious Violence Fund, in 2018 we invested £200 million in early intervention
and prevention support initiatives over 10 years to support children and young people
at risk of exploitation and involvement in serious violence, through the Youth Endowment
Fund (YEF). In Sussex, one project has been offered funding for £93,500 under the
Covid grant round.</p>
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