There are some articles in print and online carrying claims that the Home Office has “broken its promise” over the £100m Serious Violence Fund, by not allocating all funding to forces and for not allocating the funds immediately after they were announced in the Spring Statement.
These claims are wholly without merit. The facts are clear.
- The Home Office yesterday announced that £51 million will be allocated to 18 police forces worst affected by violence. These forces know the additional money they will be getting and will immediately be able to plan and deliver their surge activity – including over the Easter weekend.
- We have allocated these funds as quickly as possible, whilst ensuring thorough consultation with the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners and the National Police Chiefs’ Council, to ensure that this funding reaches those forces most in need. As a result we were able to allocate funding just one month after announcing the fund.
- We have always been clear that out of the £100 million, £65 million will be allocated to police forces for tackling serious violence. £51 million has now been allocated. The remaining £12.4 million to support the police surge will be allocated in due course.
- Since the announcement of the funding in the Spring Statement, we have been clear that a third of the fund (£35 million) will support the setting up of Violence Reduction Units. Another £1.6m is being spent on ensuring forces have better data to help their planning.