Areas suffering from high levels of violent crime will receive a surge of intensive police patrols to help drive down knife crime.
Cleveland’s Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner Matt Storey secured £481,505 for the high visibility patrols through the Government’s new Knife Crime Concentration Fund.
Last month, the Home Office announced it had shared mapping technology with 27 police forces – including Cleveland – to be able to pinpoint knife crime hotspots down to a precision of 1.0 square kilometres.
Using micro-geography, police can establish the specific streets and times when knife crime the occurs the most.
Locally, hotspot patrols will take place in five designated ward areas across Stockton and Middlesbrough – which account for 11% of knife crime incidents in Cleveland.
They will build on the patrols already being carried out as part of the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, maximising resources and efficiency.
A structured, problem-solving approach is currently being taken with key partners to better understand and target causes of knife crime in the chosen hotspot areas.
This will result in a plan of agreed partnership action to drive down serious violence and protect those most vulnerable to this type of crime.
The Cleveland Unit for the Reduction of Violence (CURV) is also focusing some of their work into the same locations to tackle violent crime.
This includes focussed deterrence initiatives – working directly with people most likely to become involved in violence.
The crackdown comes as part of a wider national programme aimed at halving knife crime over a decade.
It is hoped the patrols will achieve a 33% reduction on knife crime in Cleveland hotspot areas within the next three years.
Matt said: “We have already seen the value of focused hotspot patrols in Cleveland through the work of Project Salus. They provide a visible deterrent, build public confidence and help disrupt criminal activity in the places most affected.
“I am pleased that high-visibility policing will be present in key locations while investment into early intervention work also continues.
“We must continue to work with local partners to address the root causes that lead people to violent crime and help provide opportunities and support to those affected by it.
“I look forward to continuing our work with Cleveland Police to deliver real, lasting change around the prevalent challenge knife crime and serious violence brings to our communities.”
Cleveland Police Superintendent Paul Allen, added: “Cleveland Police welcomes the Knife Crime Concentration Fund and will work with partner agencies in those areas identified as needing focused intervention and enforcement, to continue to tackle the very real threat of this type of crime.
“We know knife crime is causing harm to our communities, and we will make sure the public are kept informed about the work we are doing to prevent this. Gathering information about those carrying and storing knives and bladed weapons continues to be key in ensuring we have officers and specialist teams in the places where and when they are needed, so we would ask the public to contact us with any information, no matter how big or small, by dialling 101.”