A PROGRAMME aimed at tackling knife crime and youth offending is set to roll out across Thames Valley following pilot programmes.
Operation Deter Youth will see an early intervention pathway called Act Now speeding up the time that youth offending services contact under-18s who have been arrested for weapon and violence offences.
Delivered by Youth Justice Services, the initiative sees contact made with young offenders just 90 minutes after notification of arrest, and home visits also completed within 48 hours of a child leaving custody.
The rollout will see all nine Youth Justice Services delivering the Act Now pathway, which will be available in every Thames Valley Police custody suite.
The first new area to go live is Wokingham, which launched in early November, and each Youth Justice Service is expected to be delivering the programme by the end of spring next year.
The rollout also includes an expansion of eligible offences with the inclusion of all other weapon offences, violence, and robbery in addition to all knife-enabled and knife-possession offences.
Interventions include Speech, Language, and Communication Needs (SLCN) assessments, education, training, and employment support, as well as mental health support, conflict resolution without violence and aggression advice, and support for parents and carers.
The programme has been running as a pilot in Milton Keynes since January last year, and in Slough since March last year.
The pilots have seen positive results with data from November 2023 showing a 6% reoffending rate from 100 children engaged in the programme compared to a national average of between 25 – 30%.
An independent evaluation of the scheme will be completed by March next year.
The news comes in the wake of commitments by Thames Valley PCC Matthew Barber, to £900,000 of funding to expand the programme earlier this year.
Matthew Barber, Police and Crime Commissioner said: “Early intervention and prevention activity to stop children being drawn into crime is key to tackling knife crime and violence and addressing the culture of knife carrying.
“The Op Deter Youth programme aims to look at the root causes of offending.”
He explained: “It uses fast-tracked processes to increase the levels of engagement children have with youth justice services, breaking the cycle of offending, and improving future safeguarding opportunities by determining if they are being exploited.
“I am pleased that all Youth Justice Services have signed up to deliver the programme and are in the process of implementation.
“The rollout together with the expansion of eligible offences will help to divert increasing numbers of children away from the Criminal Justice System and deliver safer streets across our communities.”
Jo Brennan, Head of Oversight at the Youth Justice Board said: “The Youth Justice Board welcomes the introduction of Act Now.
“Evidence shows supporting children at the earliest point after arrest and offering interventions that build on their strengths, give them the best chance of not reoffending in the future.
“We commend the PCC on this investment in youth justice service delivery which we expect to reduce the number of children carrying knives and taking part in other related offending.”
