UK Gov't Earmarks $42.2Mln For Police To Set Up Violence Reduction Units

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th August, 2019) The UK Home Office confirmed in a statement on Monday that 18 Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) across the United Kingdom will be awarded 35 million Pounds ($42.2 million) to establish so-called violence reduction units for tackling violent crime in each of their areas of responsibility.

The plan to allocate additional funding toward setting up violence reduction units in areas worst affected by violent crime was announced by Home Secretary Sajid Javid in June. Today's confirmation of its amount comes after a multi-party roundtable hosted by Prime Minister Boris Johnson on how to reduce crime and improve criminal justice in the United Kingdom.

"To beat knife crime we must do two things: first we need assertive, high profile police enforcement and second, we need a coordinated approach to the long term solutions to violence in society, especially amongst the young. These new units should help us get results on both," Policing Minister Kit Malthouse was quoted as saying in the statement.

New violence reduction units will be made up of police,�representatives of local government, health care workers, community leaders and other key partners and tasked to work out long- and short-term strategies for tackling violent crime, according to the text.

In the attached list of 18 areas that will receive funding, the largest allocation totals 7 million pounds and will go to the Metropolitan Police, while the smallest amount of 880,000 pounds will be allocated to each of six areas � Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Bedfordshire, Sussex, Hampshire and South Wales. The funding comes from a 100 million pound serious violence fund announced in March, the statement added.

According to the document, starting next month, 20,000 new police officers will be recruited, as promised by Johnson when he took office.

The United Kingdom has been experiencing a surge of violent crime over the past several years, reaching especially alarming rates in London and other major cities. Frequent knife attacks have been of particular concern. The public often blames the Conservative party for implementing cuts to law enforcement funding and staff.