Leeds Council chiefs pledge to protect children after Government announce £26m cash pot to tackle knife crime
Leeds council chiefs have pledged to protect young people after the Government announced a £26 million cash pot aimed at tackling knife crime across the country.
The Home Office is introducing raft of new measures to make the country’s streets safer including a new hyperlocal precision technology mapping system designed to identify knife crime “hotspots”.
There will also be a new fund to allow police to step up patrols, install CCTV, deploy live facial recognition, and use knife detection arches in areas where incidents are most likely to occur.
Leeds has also been chosen as one of eight cities to host a youth hub as part of the Protecting Lives, Building Hope programme.
The hub aims to provide support, advice, and opportunities for young people aged up to 18, particularly in areas where anti-social behaviour and knife crime are most prevalent.
West Yorkshire’s Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Alison Lowe OBE, told the Yorkshire Evening Post that the new measures would build on existing efforts, stressing that “education, innovation, and opportunity remain central to our success”, with the Leeds hub set to provide vital support for young people on the ground.
She added that early intervention must remain a priority, warning of the “devastating consequences of knife crime” and saying a partnership approach can “change lives and keep our communities safe.”
Councillor Helen Hayden, Leeds City Council’s executive member for children and families, added that keeping children safe was a “key priority” for the city.
She said: “Following the government’s announcement of £26million in funding to help tackle knife crime, we welcome the additional resource to support the work we are doing to reduce the risk of young people becoming involved in violence and to support vulnerable children and young people.
“While we await further details of the programme, keeping children safe and protecting our communities remains a key priority for the city.”
Seven more hubs will be based in Birmingham, Brighton and Hove, Bristol, County Durham, Manchester, Nottingham, and Tower Hamlets - all areas with high rates of knife crime. They will be the first of 50 hubs, which will eventually be rolled out across England.
Policing minister Sarah Jones said: “Knife crime devastates lives and families across the country, and the majority of it takes place on just a small number of streets.
“We will deploy state-of-the-art mapping to identify these hotspots and target them with police patrols, live facial recognition, and knife arches to catch these criminals.”
Justice Secretary David Lammy added: “We know that targeted prevention makes a real difference, reaching young people before violence does, giving them trusted adults to turn to and the support they need to choose a different path.”
Alongside policing measures, the government is investing £1.2 million to provide specialist training in schools in areas most affected by knife crime, including Leeds. Up to 250 schools will receive training, with more intensive support for the 50 most affected.
The Safety In & Around Schools Partnership, delivered by the Youth Endowment Fund with support from the Department for Education, Ministry of Justice, and Home Office, will train school leaders to identify risks and implement local solutions to improve pupil safety.
Some opposition politicians have questioned whether the measures will be sufficient. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp accused Labour of having “a massive cheek” in making its announcement while cutting total police numbers.
He also added that the removal of dedicated officers in schools has left areas vulnerable, while Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Jess Brown-Fuller said more investment in community policing is needed to complement these interventions.