A long-term partnership approach to address the causes of violence.

Safer Warwickshire Serious Violence Prevention Strategy 2022 – 2027

The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 introduces a new statutory requirement referred to as the Serious Violence Duty. In preparation for this new duty and to fully address the causes of violence, Warwickshire partners have adopted a new Serious Violence Prevention Strategy.

It is fully recognised that no one agency alone can prevent ‘Serious Violence’. Our strategy highlights the importance of a combined, sustained effort on behaviour of key organisations, built on strong community foundations.

‘Cllr Andy Crump – Portfolio Holder –Fire and Rescue and Community Safety & Chair of the Safer Warwickshire Partnership Board:

The Warwickshire Serious Violence Prevention Strategy sets out a long term commitment by partner agencies to tackle the causes of violence, respond to emerging issues of violence to protect those most at risk, and develop long term support, recognising that the impact of violence on families, schools and the wider community impacts across generations.

If we are going to address the causes of violence, we have to fundamentally shift the conversation to what can we do to prevent violence, challenging the very concept that violence has any place in our society.

Philip Seccombe Police and Crime Commissioner for Warwickshire:

Preventing Serious Violence does require a collective and collaborative approach. No one agency alone can prevent Serious Violence. It is everyone’s responsibility. Police action alone will not solve the societal problems that underpin the causes of Violent Crime. It requires a long-term, whole-system, multi-agency solution.

This means a combined, sustained effort by all key organisations. We need to make this effort, not only to protect our communities today, but to make a generational change that will protect the communities of tomorrow.

But if we want to prevent Serious Violence from occurring in the first place and make a difference over the long-term, we need to understand the causes of Serious Violence in Warwickshire; and what we can do individually, together, and with our communities, to remove those causes, and prevent the cycle of reoccurrence.

This will not be an easy task, but it is a most important one. It requires a step-change in approach from all of us. This strategy sets the framework and direction in which we can achieve this goal and will help bring about real and lasting change.

This strategy has been written so that it is accessible to any individual, agency, business, organisation or community group who wants to:-

• Understand the causes of serious violence
  
• Understand the roles that key agencies can have to prevent violence recurring
  
• Use their skills and experience to make a difference to tackle serious violence and create opportunities for those affected by it to make positive life choices.