Greater Manchester Police talk knife crime prevention! Interview w/ The NGY Show
Superintendent Caroline Hemmingway and PC Ainsley John from Greater Manchester Police (GMP), talk about knife crime prevention with The NGY Show. Caroline has a team of officers who work on Operation Venture – a dedicated young team formed in late 2022 to prevent knife crime. “The role is Pro-Active”, said PC John who’s job requires him to go out onto the streets to speak with young people in a nurturing way that will help break down the stigma of speaking to the police and prevent knife crime through education.
The project has been very effective so far. Whilst not all of the positive impacts can be measured with figures, GMP have already made over 200 arrests so far. They have performed over 140 weapon sweeps, received 330 intelligence submissions by officers and are continuing to engage with habitual knife carriers with dignity and respect in the hope to build bridges and prevent knife crime by working with partners like the Navigator team to redirect their futures.
Caroline also spoke about the Violence Reduction Unit, a multi-agency team who come together to address the underlying causes of violence and work with communities to prevent it. The team includes experts from probation, health, education, victims services and communities. Caroline speaks highly of the dedication seen when it comes to preventing violence amongst young people and society as a whole.
GMP also have links with several youth groups and services which play a massive role in their ongoing work. The NGY Show asked if there are any tactics that Operation Venture Officers use, to which they talked about how most of their work is intelligence led, meaning they respond to situations raised by members of the public, dealing with it there and then. Through this, GMP have been made aware of 35 crime hotspots that they now monitor with.
Check out the full interview for more!
Greater Manchester Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) is a team of subject leads and experts from Greater Manchester Police (GMP), Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), Greater Manchester National Probation Service, Public Health, NHS, Education, Community Voluntary Sector, Victim’s Voice, Youth Justice and Local Authorities, addressing the underlying causes of violence and working together with communities to prevent it.
By implementing effective prevention and enforcement measures, the VRU aims to create safer communities and enhance public safety in the Greater Manchester area. Through its proactive efforts, it strives to make a significant impact on reducing violence and promoting social well-being.
To find out more about Greater Manchester Police visit:
https://www.gmp.police.uk/
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