£50m additional funding to reduce crime in London

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has announced a new comprehensive investment package of almost £50 million to tackle crime and the complex causes of crime.

This latest investment, which will run over the next three years, will fund grassroots crime prevention projects across the city and promote positive opportunities for Londoners in every borough in the capital through the London Crime Prevention Fund.

The move will see more than £39 million distributed between all 32 London boroughs and £9.8 million awarded to projects already funded by the Mayor which will work with the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) to tackle criminal activity.

The funding will empower local authorities to tackle violence in their area, reduce offending in their communities and support victims locally and will include: a focus on providing mentoring and trauma-informed interventions for those at risk or involved in violence; local problem solving to tackle anti-social behaviour, addressing perpetrator behaviour to make communities feel safer; and multi-agency approaches to safeguard young people from exploitation by gangs; initiatives that highlight the dangers of carrying a knife, action to prevent Violence Against Women and Girls and a joined-up approach to breaking the cycle of reoffending among the most prolific offenders.

Khan said: “Tackling violence and making our communities safer is my top priority. Over the past four years and before the pandemic we’ve seen youth violence, knife crime and gun crime come down, but it’s clear that there is much more to do. Every death from violent crime is heart-breaking, devastating families and communities.

“We know the challenges of the pandemic have exacerbated the causes of crime and violence and that’s why this investment is so important and so timely. This new funding package of almost £50 million will provide dedicated funding for local authorities now and allow them to work together to tackle complex problems across borough boundaries and support local communities to tackle violence and reduce offending where they are.

“I am more determined than ever to be tough on crime by investing in our police - ensuring record numbers of officers on our streets, as well as being tough on the causes of crime by providing sustained investment to deliver positive opportunities for young Londoners who need it most.”

Jas Athwal, lead for Crime Reduction for London Councils, said: “Investment in crime prevention measures to tackle the causes of criminal behaviour is critically important to making London a safer city to live, work and visit. The Mayor’s fund will help London boroughs to reduce offending locally, provide direct support to the victims of crime, and most importantly prevent young and vulnerable people from turning to a life of crime in the first place.”