The Hertfordshire police and crime commissioner has approved funding for a initiative to tackle knife and serious violent crime.
The £280,000 scheme aims to safeguard 200 children and young adults in Hertfordshire who are at risk of being drawn into gang activity and other serious offending.
The commissioner approved a £140,000 community safety grant from his office, which will be matched by Hertfordshire County Council and district councils.
The money will be used to recruit additional St Giles’ Trust youth project workers over the next year who will focus on early intervention and targeted help for young people at risk.
As part of the scheme local schools will be offered the opportunity to refer high risk young people in to an intensive support service to disrupt and divert them away from crime and joining gangs.
Mr Lloyd said: “Hertfordshire remains a low crime area with much less knife and serious crime than many parts of the country. But we are not immune from national trends and in Hertfordshire we have criminals travelling in from London and across county lines.
“Understandably this is a key public concern that I share, and I am committed to making a real difference and combating it.
“I have agreed this substantial funding as we need to prevent these vulnerable children and young people being forced in to crime.
“The grant will enable Crime Panels to be set up across the county involving the police, schools, councils and children services to identify those at risk.
“Last year I funded a successful pilot of this scheme in Broxbourne and now is the right time to expand their work out across Hertfordshire.”
As part of the scheme local schools will be offered the opportunity to refer high risk young people in to an intensive support service to disrupt and divert them away from crime and joining gangs.
Police officers and council’s across Hertfordshire will engage with the project through their Community Safety Partnerships to identify and assist those needing safeguarding.
Youth Offending Teams in the Hertfordshire have identified where offences are categorised as “serious violent crime” knife possession is the most common offence. The most common age of offending is for age 15-16.
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