By Rob Nixon , Chief Constable of Leicestershire Police.
The old maxim is prevention is better than the cure. I could not agree more.
That is why Leicestershire Police has established a new Prevention Directorate to redouble our efforts to reduce harm in our communities by finding ways to solve issues before they can start.
Policing in Leicestershire has always taken prevention seriously. It’s written into our core role and is part of our public pledge. We have a strong track record of working with local partners and organisations to solve problems. We are currently one of the best performing forces in the country for tackling serious violence because of this approach. Our decision to invest openly in prevention means we can build on the good work and research already in place. The more crime we can stop, the more time and effort we can put into good service and high standards.
Prevention comes in many forms. It can be changing behaviours to stop issues escalating. It can mean directly engaging with people to steer them away from crime. And it can mean problem-solving, with others, so that an issue doesn’t become a crime. We continue to work with all sorts of organisations to provide that rounded support, many rooted in our local communities.
The public can also get involved. Reporting crime or information online at our website or through Crimestoppers helps. You can also learn about how to prevent crime yourself or for others with our specialist resources: Live Safe Making our community a safe place to live – LiveSafe, Walk Away Home – We Walk Away, and www.leics.police.uk.
Prevention is a vital part of Leicestershire Police’s pledge to the people we serve and I am delighted we are making our service stronger.
LiveSafe.org.uk has been curated by the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Violence Reduction Network. It brings together key information from across the partnership about topics that may put young people at risk of serious violence.
Live Safe includes factual information about key subjects such as grooming, gangs, child exploitation, knife crime, substance use and healthy relationships. The site offers links to get support and ways to anonymously report crimes and concerns.
Designed with and for young people, the LiveSafe website does not feature any badged material from enforcement agencies as this is known to have a negative impact on engagement.
Live Safe has two target audience groups.
· Young People aged 10-25 (primarily 13-17) · Parents, Carers & Professionals
Live Safe acts as a central resource hub for partners of the Violence Reduction Network (VRN) to collaborate on. The material is supported and co-produced with subject matter experts from across the network.
The content feeds into the wider VRN violence prevention strategy and represents a strong example of partnership working.
