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Home Office (National)

£56.5 million to tackle youth crime across England

More after-school patrols and street-based teams to prevent and tackle youth crime will be funded by a cash injection of almost £60 million into 69 local authority areas in every corner of England, the Government announced today.

The funding is a major milestone in the delivery of the Youth Crime Action Plan, launched in July, which aims to tackle youth crime through a comprehensive plan of early prevention, non-negotiable support and tough enforcement.

All parts of England will be offered the funding to boost the drive to tackle youth crime, but today each of the 69 areas are being offered £700,000 to implement an intensive package of action over the next three years, with an immediate cash injection of £90,000 available to each local authority this year.

This builds on the excellent work already underway in many local areas across the country and on the Government's track record in investing in children and young people.

 Measures will include:

* using safeguarding laws to remove young people at risk from the streets at night;

* street-based teams of youth workers and ex-gang members to tackle groups of young people involved in crime and disorder;

* increased visible police patrols during after-school hours;

* expanding Family Intervention Projects to respond more effectively to families at risk;

* providing positive activities for young people; and

* placing youth offending team workers in police stations so that young offenders can be dealt with and directed to the most appropriate service at the earliest opportunity.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said:

"I know the vast majority of young people are on the right track but there is a minority whose behaviour causes disruption to their communities. I want young people to be able to fulfil their full potential but that means intervening as early as possible to prevent offending and to ensure that unacceptable behaviour is tackled effectively.

"There is not an either/or option in tackling youth crime: we need both tough enforcement and effective preventative measures to drive down youth crime and anti-social behaviour.

"The money we are investing today demonstrates this Government's determination to tackle youth crime and improve the quality of life for young people, their families and their communities."

Children's Secretary Ed Balls said:

"The vast majority of young people play an active, positive role in their communities and are a credit to their families, schools and themselves. But there is still a small minority of young people who cause problems in their communities and become involved in crime.

"This money, available through the Youth Crime Action Plan, will help local areas tackle youth crime, by addressing both the causes of offending and offering the right support to help young people get their lives back on track."

Justice Minister David Hanson said:

"Knowing that funding is guaranteed for the next three years will make it easier for local authorities to plan how they best tackle youth crime in their area.

"In working with local councils we are targeting this investment to ensure that we reduce youth crime rates and make our communities safer. The extra funding will support work already underway to help young people turn away from a life of crime."

Clare Tickell, Chief Executive, Action for Children, said:

"The ongoing commitment and investment in youth crime is welcome. However, as well as looking at underlying root causes that can draw young people into crime we need to provide advice and access to practical support.

"Further investment in Intensive Family Support will achieve this, by supporting those most in need. By providing ongoing, tailored help and creating a stable family environment we can break down patterns of anti-social behaviour. Parents also need help to develop qualities like self-confidence and resilience in their child so that they have the emotional skills to deal with conflict, without resorting to violence."

In addition 20 local authorities will get an extra £100,000 this year to expand Family Intervention Projects which have demonstrated they can successfully turn around the behaviour of the most challenging families with children at risk of offending. The Government selected the areas using a variety of data to help best focus resources on priority areas.

NOTES

The Youth Crime Action Plan was published by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, Home Office and Ministry of Justice on 15 July and can be found at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/youth-crime-action-plan/.

2. All parts of the country will get some support through the Youth Crime Action Plan. There is £22 million that will be distributed to other areas outside these 69 local authority areas to improve work with families to prevent youth crime. The Government will announce details of this in the near future. All areas will also be able to draw on improved advice and support on tackling youth crime, including expert practitioners.

3. Some measures will also apply to Wales and the Government will be working with the Welsh Assembly to deliver these.

4. The 69 English local authorities are listed below.

Barking and Dagenham

Barnsley

Birmingham

Blackburn and Darwen

Blackpool

Bolton

Bournemouth

Bradford

Brighton and Hove

Bristol

Camden

Coventry

Croydon

Darlington

Derby

Doncaster

Durham

Gateshead

Greenwich

Hackney

Halton

Hammersmith and Fulham

Haringey

Harltepool

Islington

Kingston Upon Hull

Kirklees

Knowsley

Lambeth

Lancashire

Leeds

Leicester

Lewisham

Liverpool

Manchester

Middlesborough

Newcastle upon Tyne

Newham

North East Lincolnshire

North Lincolnshire

North Tyneside

Nottingham

Oldham

Peterborough

Plymouth

Portsmouth

Redcar and Cleveland

Rochdale

Rotherham

Salford

Sandwell

Sheffield

Slough

South Tyneside

Southampton

Southend-on-Sea

Southwark

St. Helens

Stoke-on-Trent

Stockton-on-Tees

Sunderland

Tameside

Torbay

Tower Hamlets

Trafford

Wakefield

Walsall

Wigan

Wirrall

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