New violence reduction unit launched in Sheffield as detectives investigate shooting and stabbing on same day

The South Yorkshire Violence Reduction Unit has been funded with £1.6 million Home Office grant to prevent and reduce violence the county.

It will see partner agencies working together to tackle the issue.

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In Sheffield yesterday, a man was stabbed on Abbeydale Road and a car was shot at outside the Co-op on Chapel Street, Woodhouse, just five hours apart.

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South Yorkshire was one of 18 areas allocated the cash and when announcing the funding, the then Home Secretary Sajid Javid said: “We are losing too many young lives to the horrors of serious violence and it’s crucial that all parts of our society work together to tackle it head-on.”

South Yorkshire Police was also recently awarded £2.5 million from the Home Office to ‘reduce the volume of knife and firearm enabled assaults, wounding and robberies’ over the next year by boosting the number of officers on the streets and carrying out enforcement work.

The Violence Reduction Unit, based at Shepcote Lane, Tinsley, aims to take a public health approach to violence, treating it like a disease by tackling the causes of it rather than just responding to it after incidents have occurred.

It aims identify crime hotspots and those involved in violence.

The unit will also set out a long-term strategy to tackle the root causes of violence.

A Violence Reduction Fund has been set up, with community groups and organisations invited to submit ideas for funding of up to £20,000 for projects to help reduce the number of people at risk of being drawn into violence or to draw people away from violence.

Dr Alan Billings, South Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner said: “In recent years, violent behaviour has had a devastating impact on too many lives in South Yorkshire.

"It has left families grieving. It has made many young people anxious and some communities fearful.

"I believe the Violence Reduction Unit will have a significant impact in reducing violence, not least because it brings so many partners together absolutely determined to make a lasting difference.

"The Violence Reduction Fund enables organisations to work with us to keep young people in particular away from violence in the first place or to get offenders away from violence if they want to turn their lives around.

"I invite organisations working with young people, or supporting people with substance or alcohol issues, or with those involved in the criminal justice system at any stage to contact us.

“This funding offers an opportunity for groups and organisations to leave a legacy for future generations and establish a structure to continue their work.

“We need the help of the voluntary and third sector organisations to help us identify the root causes of violence by identifying the issues young people face today and addressing them before they result in violence.”

Rachel Staniforth, Head of the South Yorkshire Violence Reduction Unit, said: “We are very excited to be launching the Violence Reduction Fund in South Yorkshire.

“The fund is an excellent opportunity for a wide range of services and organisations to try something new with young people and adults.

“Our communities know what they need and what they don’t have enough of. The Violence Reduction Fund gives community organisations the opportunity to start to implement some of that – maybe by strengthening existing offers or by creating something different.

“The causes of violence are wide ranging and as such we would love to see a broad range of applications in to the fund.”

The closing date for applications is midday on Thursday, October 31.

and successful applicants will be notified in mid-November.

Click HERE for more details.