APCC Chair and Serious Violence Lead responds to Home Secretary’s meeting with Chief Constables
Responding to reports following the Home Secretary’s meeting with a number of Chief Constables to discuss violent crime, APCC Chair and Serious Violence Lead, Mark Burns-Williamson PCC said:
“Police and Crime Commissioners have been clear that much more needs to be done to tackle the significant rise in knife and violent crime across the country. This is an issue that blights our local communities and one that remains a top priority for PCCs in both urban and more rural areas. PCCs are responsible for setting the police budgets locally and we will be working closely with Chief Constables and the Home Office in the coming days to set out the scale of emergency funding and resources required to tackle this critical issue.
“In addition, over the past months, Police and Crime Commissioners have already been working closely with Chief Constables, the Home Office and other community safety partners to secure the best possible funding deal for policing. The latest funding settlement provides some additional funding to cover rising costs, but it will mean that over half of the additional funding announced will come through local tax payers. We will continue to build a compelling case for increases in central police funding in the forthcoming comprehensive spending review.
“However, it is ultimately only through early intervention and prevention work that we will be able to most effectively deal with the scourge of knife and violent crime in our communities. We need to see focused and properly resourced action through a whole-system approach into other areas such youth services and public health and as local leaders PCCs have a vital role to play in co-ordinating and making this happen.”