HOME OFFICE News
Release (114/2007) issued by The Government News Network on 26 June 2007
Community groups
including the Damilola Taylor Trust have been awarded £800,000 by
the Home Office to tackle crime and gang culture, Home Secretary
John Reid said today.
The Damilola Taylor Trust will receive £300,000 to continue its
"Respect your life, not a knife" campaign that urges
young people not to carry a knife or other weapons. Other
community groups across England and Wales will receive a share of
£500,000 through the Home Office's Connected Fund to support
projects that help to tackle gang culture. With the recent award
of £150,000 to Urban Concepts "Don't Trigger"
campaign, this brings to almost £1 million the amount the Home
Office has given to community groups in recent weeks.
The Home Office is also, in conjunction with the Association of
Chief Police Officers (ACPO), publishing "Knife Crime Best
Practice Guidelines" to help police and crime and disorder
reduction partnerships to tackle knife crime in the most effective way.
Later today Home Office Ministers will meet community
representatives and police in a roundtable meeting to discuss how
best to tackle gun and knife crime, and gang culture.
The Government tackles crime through police, powers and
prevention. That means ensuring police are equipped to deal with
crime; giving police and the courts the powers they need to deal
with offenders; and funding community groups to help prevent young
people beginning a life of crime and anti-social behaviour.
Home Secretary John Reid said:
"Partnership with police and community groups is vital in
tackling crime and gang culture. We have achieved a great deal in
recent years to enhance community safety: crime and violent crime
have fallen by a third in the last 10 years while gun crime fell
by 16 per cent in the 12 months up to December 2006. We have
introduced tough laws, but we have always recognised that
Government cannot tackle crime on its own.
"Too many young people think that carrying a knife is for
self defence. It is not, and they run the risk of having it turned
on them.
"To tackle gun and knife crime and gang culture we have to
convince young people so they know that knives are not a status
symbol and don't protect you. That is why I am delighted to
award the Damilola Taylor Trust a grant of £300,000 to fund their
excellent campaign.
"The violent deaths over the weekend demonstrate the need to
maintain momentum. We remain committed to tackling gang culture,
and gun and knife crime."
Alf Hitchcock, ACPO lead on knife crime and Deputy Assistant
Commissioner at the Metropolitan Police, said:
"Police forces across the country have contributed examples
of good practice from themselves and their partner organisations
to help develop the joint police and Home Office best practice
guide. We know that to address knife crime in the long term
involves a great deal more than just policing. However, this guide
provides a further tool in the fight against this area of crime."
Notes to Editors;
1. To see the Home Office/ ACPO knife crime best practice
guidance go to http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/news/
2. For a full list of groups that have received money from the
Connected Fund see http://www.connected.gov.uk/
3. For more on the Don't Trigger anti-gun crime campaign see
http://www.dont-trigger.com/.
The Home Office gave £150,000 to help fund the latest stage in the
campaign that was launched at City Hall on 7 June.