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Serious Violence Duty

The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2021 introduces a new Serious Violence duty

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The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2021 introduces a new Serious Violence duty

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About

The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2021 introduces a new Serious Violence duty.

The Home Office guidance on the duty sets out details which include:

  • That serious violence is an explicit priority for Community Safety Partnerships.
  • Changes will be made to section 6 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. This requires the Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) to formulate and implement a strategy to prevent and reduce serious violence.

Local areas need to choose the right Partnership structure to fulfil this duty. The responsible committee or group should involve all specified authorities and will be required to:

  • Take a public health approach to reducing serious violence
  • Share data
  • Develop a Strategic Needs Assessment
  • Prepare and implement a serious violence strategy
  • Annual strategy review (evaluation of interventions) including a refreshed needs assessment

The Safer Somerset Partnership has recently formed a sub group called the Somerset Violence Reduction Partnership to consider options for how to best implement this new duty.  More information can be found at Avon and Somerset Violence Reduction Partnership

You can find a copy of the Home Office guidance on the GOV.UK website – Serious Violence Duty: draft guidance

Last updated: July 16, 2024

Next review due: January 16, 2025

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