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<p>The Government is determined to do everything it can to tackle knife crime and
break the deadly cycle of violence that devastates the lives of victims, families
and communities.</p><p>We are taking action to address these increases on a number
of fronts in support of our Serious Violence Strategy. This includes providing the
police with the powers and resources they need to take effective action in all areas
of the country. Through the Offensive Weapons Act we are tightening the law in relation
to knives, including making it an offence to possess certain offensive weapons in
private, and stopping knives being sent to residential addresses after they are bought
online unless the seller has arrangements with a delivery company to verify age. We
are also introducing new Knife Crime Prevention Orders, requested by the police to
help them to tackle young people who are on the cusp of serious violence, to help
them make more positive lifestyle choices. We also continue to support the police
national weeks of action against knife crime under Operation Sceptre.</p><p>The police
funding settlement provides the police with the biggest increase in funding since
2010, and in addition we are providing the additional £100 million to tackle serious
violence announced in the Spring Statement on 13 March, which includes £80m of new
funding from the Treasury. £63.4 million of this funding has already been allocated
to 18 police forces most affected by serious violence to pay for surge operational
activity, including increased patrols, and £1.6 million to help improve the quality
of data on serious violence, particularly knife crime, to support planning and operations.
West Midlands has been allocated £7.62m from this fund. A full list of the forces
and the funding they have received from the serious violence fund is available at:
<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/police-granted-funding-boost-for-action-on-serious-violence."
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/news/police-granted-funding-boost-for-action-on-serious-violence.
</a></p><p>The remaining £35m from the Serious Violence Fund will be invested in Violence
Reduction Units, which will support the local response in a number of areas worst
affected by serious violence. VRUs will bring together a range of agencies including
health, education, social services and others, to develop a multi-agency approach
to preventing serious violence altogether. We are working closely with local partners
to develop proposals for Violence Reduction Units, and will be seeking to make announcements
on this funding in early June.</p><p>We are also raising awareness among young people
of the dangers of carrying a knife through our national media campaign - #knifefree
– and supporting early intervention through the £22 million Early Intervention Youth
Fund, which is already supporting 29 local projects, including around £2m allocated
to the Police and Crime Commissioner in the West Midlands to target young people identified
as being most at risk, particularly those at risk of exclusion from school, and those
already engaged in crime and violence.</p><p>We have also introduced the £200 million
Youth Endowment Fund, which will be delivered over the next 10 years to support interventions
with children and young people at risk of involvement in crime and violence, focusing
on those most at risk. The charity Impetus, working in partnership with the Early
Intervention Foundation and Social Investment Business, is now operating the Fund.</p>
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