Thames Valley Police commissioner launches new £900k knife crime prevention scheme

Last month, Commissioner Matthew Barber confirmed the launch of Operation Deter Youth. Under the new programme processes will be brought in enabling Youth Offending Services to make contact with under-18s that have been arrested for weapon and violence offences more quickly.

It is hoped that theses services can contact young individuals within 90 minutes of their arrest. The programme was piloted in Milton Keynes and Slough and is now being rolled out to the wider policing area.

Under the new scheme a member of the team will also complete a home visit within 48 hours of a child leaving custody.

After trials in Milton Keynes and Slough, the new permanent scheme has first been added at Wokingham Police Station. The PCC’s office has confirmed that funding is available for the scheme until the spring of 2025.

Will aimed at discouraging knife crime, the scheme will also include offenders who commit linked acts such as all other weapon offences, violence, and robbery in addition to all knife-enabled and knife-possession crimes.

Commissioner Barber 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. 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.”

To avoid potential repeat offending, children are offered assessments, education, training and employment support, mental health support,

conflict resolution without violence and aggression and support for parents and carers.

The programme has been running as a pilot in Milton Keynes since January 2023 and in Slough since March 2023.

Since the pilots began, data from the PCC shows that there was 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 2025, the PCC has confirmed.

Op Deter Youth is the under-18 strand of Operation Deter, which was launched in the policing area in 2022.

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.”