CURV: Cleveland Unit for the Reduction of Violence - Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner

Cleveland Unit for the Reduction of Violence or CURV, is the area’s first dedicated partnership tasked with reducing levels of serious violence.

The partnership is made up of representatives from:

The CURV Team
Cleveland OPCC
Police
Fire
Health
Public heath
Community and voluntary groups
Prisons
Probation
Education

The aim of the partnership, supported by a small team employed by the OPCC, is to:

Reduce hospital admissions for injuries caused by a knife;
Reduce recorded knife crime;
Reduce the number of non-domestic homicides

Led by John Holden OBE, the small CURV team are tasked with better understanding the scale, nature and drivers of violent crime in Cleveland. Working with Crest Advisory, a major research project was undertaken to examine serious violence in Cleveland during the period 2017-2022.

The result was the CURV Strategic Needs Assessment:

CURV Strategic Needs Assessment (SNA) (application, 7MB)

Based on this research document, the CURV team developed a strategy to address the key drivers of violent crime in Cleveland.

They would use a joined up, multiagency approach to explore interventions that aimed to address the causes of violent behaviour and prevent crime before it occurs:

CURV Response Strategy (application, 11MB)

The Barnardo’s Reach Project aimed to support young people through music.

The CURV team have already made investments in a number of innovative schemes designed to reduce levels of violent crime by diverting people into positive activities, or addressing the trauma caused in their childhoods.

Supported organisations included:

The Chris Cave Foundation
Barnardo’s
Three13
Teesside Lions
And many more…!

PCC Steve Turner, Flares General Manager Mark Warrilow and Alma Dennison, acting chair of Boro Angels.

A significant investment was also provided to the region’s four councils to increase safety and security in their Night Time Economy (NTE) areas. Hartlepool Borough Council, Stockton Borough Council, Middlesbrough Council and Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council all received at least £30,000 reach for measures such as knife wands, increased CCTV operators and anti-spiking kits.

More information about funding opportunities for local, grassroots organisations will be made available in due course.