Police and Crime Commissioner Darryl Preston (PCC) now has new legal responsibilities to bring together key organisations who can prevent serious violence and protect lives. 

The Serious Violence Duty, which came into force yesterday (January 31), places a legal obligation on public sector organisations such as the police and local authorities to work closer together to tackle the root causes of serious violence and prevent unnecessary deaths. 

The legislation comes as the PCC announced funding working with partners from across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough who are focused on tackling child exploitation, to launch a new educational project raising awareness among young people of issues such as county lines, grooming and knife/serious violence. 

Partners will work with an educational provider to deliver a tailored package of educational content and resources including lesson plans and short animated videos aimed at Key Stage 2 primary school pupils. 

Darryl said: “The Serious Violence Duty is a welcomed step in the fight against knife crime and serious violence and I will continue to work with partners to support the efforts they put into preventing the exploitation of young people and reducing their risk of harm. 

“There is already a strong model of collaboration in place in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. 

“We’ve long understood that serious violence cannot be tackled by one agency alone and activity is coordinated at every level including through the High Harms Board I chair.” 

The new duty has been introduced as part of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 and follows the publication of the government’s Serious Violence Strategy in 2018. 

Cambridge City Council’s executive councillor for recovery, employment and community safety, Cllr Alice Gilderdale, said:“We are pleased to receive this funding to support and enhance our work with the police, county council, police and crime commissioner and other local partners, as we seek to prevent serious youth violence.”