Knife crime still top concern for young people for sixth year in a row
Just under one fifth think it is the top issue
The biggest concern for young people in Essex is knife crime, for the sixth year in a row.
19.9% cited it as their top issue, in the Essex Violence and Vulnerability Unit's Listening Project.
The nation-leading initiative, assisted by Essex Police, has seen knife crime fall in the county, with a 24% reduction, and a 50% reduction in hospital admissions for related incidents.
In the previous year, knife crime was the top issue, with 21.6% of young people saying it was their biggest concern.
Roger Hirst, Essex Police Fire and Crime Commissioner said:
"Since 2019 we've spent over £9 million on prevention, early intervention and have been working with Essex Police on enforcement – we have seen a 24% reduction in knife crime, with hospitals reporting over 50% reduction in knife harm incidents. This is a huge achievement, but we are not complacent, we know one knife crime is one too many and will continue to work in partnership to drive down these reductions further."
The Essex Violence and Vulnerability Unit is an organisation that aims to reduce serious violence.
Roger also told us:
"We do a thing called the Listening Project every year, and last year it reached about two and a half thousand young people.
"They tell us what they care about and it is very clear that the thing they find most threatening is drugs and knife crime.
"Interestingly, that is now on a declining trend, and the concerns they have with the international political situation are now up there."
The unit funds initiatives like sports and dance groups, in an effort to get more young people into activities, rather than crime.
Roger told us this was "absolutely vital" and also said young people need to be listened to.
"I've been doing this job now for nine years. One of the first things I did when I arrived was to go round with the NSPCC to some schools."
"They asked the kids who they saw as a trusted adult, and they named their family, their doctor, their teacher.
"Not a single one mentioned a police officer. Not one.
"And that was when I realised we'd lost contact with young people, and that we really need to get out there, and help them do interesting, fun, positive things."
"It takes a lot longer to build confidence than destroy it.
"We have been in a situation where the county lines came into Essex in 2016/17, so they have been a part of a lot of young people's lives.
"We are squeezing them out, but we haven't got rid of them yet.
"We have managed to reduce the number of people being killed in drug related knife crime down to one last year, but that is too many, it needs to be zero."