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MPs call for dedicated police for violent schools | MPs call for dedicated police for violent schools |
(about 4 hours later) | |
Schools in areas with a higher risk of youth violence should be given dedicated police officers, say MPs. | Schools in areas with a higher risk of youth violence should be given dedicated police officers, say MPs. |
The Home Affairs Committee criticised the government's current violence reduction strategy as "completely inadequate". | The Home Affairs Committee criticised the government's current violence reduction strategy as "completely inadequate". |
It called on the new prime minister, Boris Johnson, to take "personal responsibility" for tackling knife and gun crime among young people. | |
But the Home Office said the MPs failed to fully recognise its action on crime. | But the Home Office said the MPs failed to fully recognise its action on crime. |
In its report, the committee called for more investment into neighbourhood policing - including a commitment to get a dedicated police officer into "all schools in areas with an above-average risk of serious youth violence" by April 2020. | In its report, the committee called for more investment into neighbourhood policing - including a commitment to get a dedicated police officer into "all schools in areas with an above-average risk of serious youth violence" by April 2020. |
It said by committing the money for the officers in the government's autumn spending review, it would become part of a drive to "rebuild vital links" with the communities affected. | It said by committing the money for the officers in the government's autumn spending review, it would become part of a drive to "rebuild vital links" with the communities affected. |
The report further criticised the government's strategy to cut violent crime in England and Wales for containing "no targets or milestones" and "few new actions". | The report further criticised the government's strategy to cut violent crime in England and Wales for containing "no targets or milestones" and "few new actions". |
New Policing Minister Kit Malthouse said greater interaction between police and schools could help build "very helpful" relationships as pupils enter their teenage years. | |
He said increased police powers could have a short-term impact, but the solutions to knife crime in particular were "complex and wide-ranging". | |
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "This will take many years to do - and it's something we've been investing in, and need to invest more. | |
"It's definitely the case we need to turbo-charge what we're doing." | |
'National emergency' | 'National emergency' |
Labour MP Yvette Cooper, who chairs the committee, said the Home Office had "taken a hands-off approach" to the "national emergency" of youth violence. | Labour MP Yvette Cooper, who chairs the committee, said the Home Office had "taken a hands-off approach" to the "national emergency" of youth violence. |
"To publish a weak strategy and convene a few roundtable discussions just isn't enough when faced with youth violence on this scale," she said. | "To publish a weak strategy and convene a few roundtable discussions just isn't enough when faced with youth violence on this scale," she said. |
"Serious violence has got worse after a perfect storm of youth service cuts, police cuts, more children being excluded from school and a failure of statutory agencies to keep them safe." | "Serious violence has got worse after a perfect storm of youth service cuts, police cuts, more children being excluded from school and a failure of statutory agencies to keep them safe." |
The report, published as part of the committee's inquiry into youth violence, also recommended that: | The report, published as part of the committee's inquiry into youth violence, also recommended that: |
The key factors in youth violence | The key factors in youth violence |
The Home Affairs Committee has compiled arguably the most comprehensive study into the causes of and possible solutions to youth violence since the problems began to escalate in 2015. | The Home Affairs Committee has compiled arguably the most comprehensive study into the causes of and possible solutions to youth violence since the problems began to escalate in 2015. |
Unlike the Home Office Serious Violence Strategy - which barely mentioned public sector budget cuts when it was published in 2018 - the committee identifies resources as a key factor, while emphasising that other issues, such as county lines drug gangs, have also played a part. | |
But there is no silver bullet, no one easy answer. | But there is no silver bullet, no one easy answer. |
Indeed, the MPs caution against slogans that sound good, but which may lack substance, such as "public health approach". | Indeed, the MPs caution against slogans that sound good, but which may lack substance, such as "public health approach". |
Instead, the tenor of the report suggests violence will only come down through sustained hard work over many years by government, agencies and communities together. | |
In her evidence to the committee, Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said every school and further education college in London was offered a "named officer". | |
The officers focused on activities including "high visibility patrols", and delivering sessions and bespoke workshops to pupils, she said. | The officers focused on activities including "high visibility patrols", and delivering sessions and bespoke workshops to pupils, she said. |
She told the committee that she hoped there would be more than 500 safer schools officers based in the capital by the autumn. | She told the committee that she hoped there would be more than 500 safer schools officers based in the capital by the autumn. |
But the committee said "the picture is quite different in other parts of the country", with 10 of 33 English forces having no dedicated schools officers in 2017-18. | But the committee said "the picture is quite different in other parts of the country", with 10 of 33 English forces having no dedicated schools officers in 2017-18. |
The Children's Commissioner for England, Anne Longfield, said the government must treat youth violence as a "top priority" with a "large-scale and long-term plan" to help protect vulnerable children. | |
The Children's Society charity called for extra funding for "professional training, prevention, early intervention and youth services". | |
A Home Office spokesman said the government had given the police extra powers and resources. | A Home Office spokesman said the government had given the police extra powers and resources. |
"The committee's assessment fails to recognise the full range of urgent action the government is taking to keep our communities safe," he said. | "The committee's assessment fails to recognise the full range of urgent action the government is taking to keep our communities safe," he said. |
The spokesman also said the new prime minister's pledge to recruit an extra 20,000 police officers, and the new national policing board, would "drive the response" to serious violence. | The spokesman also said the new prime minister's pledge to recruit an extra 20,000 police officers, and the new national policing board, would "drive the response" to serious violence. |
He added: "We have made it simpler for officers to use stop and search, and our Offensive Weapons Act will stop knives making their way onto our streets in the first place." | He added: "We have made it simpler for officers to use stop and search, and our Offensive Weapons Act will stop knives making their way onto our streets in the first place." |
Violent crime figures | Violent crime figures |
The latest figures from the Home Office - published in July - showed violent crime recorded by police in England and Wales had risen by 20% in the 12 months to March compared with the previous year. | |
There were 701 homicides, which includes murder and manslaughter, in the year to March, a slight increase of 1% on the previous year. | |
Meanwhile knife crime in England and Wales increased by 8% over the same period to about 43,500 recorded offences. | |
The government's Serious Violence Strategy, launched last April, committed £11m for an "early intervention youth fund" to help young people at risk of getting involved in violence. | The government's Serious Violence Strategy, launched last April, committed £11m for an "early intervention youth fund" to help young people at risk of getting involved in violence. |
The plan also committed funds for a national coordination centre to tackle "county-lines" drug routes to target links between the illegal drugs market and violent crime. | The plan also committed funds for a national coordination centre to tackle "county-lines" drug routes to target links between the illegal drugs market and violent crime. |