The West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson is urging people to get involved with the Commission on Gangs and Violence to have their say on how their streets should be made safer.
The Commission made up of the police, council, health service and local charities, published recommendations on how to divert young people away from a life of crime and tackle violent crime.
David Jamieson is investing £2 million to support the Commission’s work and is campaigning for the government to match that funding.
The funding will be supporting a wide range of projects, including:
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- A team of expert negotiators will be set up to defuse violence between gangs and to help individuals escape a life of crime.
- A mentoring scheme will be formed to help young people, at risk of offending, make the right life choices.
- A package of support will be put in place to rehabilitate ex-offenders as they leave prison and re-enter their communities. The aim is to break the cycle of crime.
- A set of programmes will be established designed to provide alternative activities for young people at risk of school exclusion and offending.
The Police and Crime Commissioner is already supporting the Commission’s recommendations by introducing Police Cadet Units in areas affected by gangs and violence; supporting a multi-million pound programme to help young people, on the brink of criminality, find training and work; fund an extensive anti-violence programme in schools and is bringing in a team of experts who will be based in hospitals to identify young people involved in violence and divert them away from a life of crime.
The PCC is looking for community members to get involved to help with the work of the Commission, to make sure that it represents their views and the projects when delivered will work on the ground.
Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson, said,
“I want local people to get involved with the work of the Commission on Gangs and Violence.
“It is local people who best know how projects should be delivered in their areas, that is why I want them to have a say and join the Commission. It is only with the support of local communities that we can beat the gangs and get the weapons off our streets.
“There are no quick fixes to tackling gangs and violence in our city and it is not just about enforcement. The police cannot do all the work alone. It is about all agencies working together. Most of all though it is about working with communities and helping them to keep their streets safe.”
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