How we can prevent more young lives being lost to knife crime - Tracy Brabin

It is unacceptable. Children should not be afraid to go to school, to travel on public transport, go to the park, or play out with friends.

Knife crime destroys families and blights communities all across the country and I am determined to take action here in West Yorkshire. That is why I made it an election pledge to tackle serious violence. And that is why I support the tougher action on knife crime proposed in the Government’s new Crime and Policing Bill.

Recently, as the Home Secretary unveiled these tough new laws, I launched our new Police and Crime Plan to a packed audience in Leeds.

The room was full of passionate people committed to helping us make West Yorkshire safer, many, from West Yorkshire Police to grass-root organisations, with first-hand experience of dealing with both victims and perpetrators of serious violence.

And it’s their understanding of the root causes of violence that has guided our thinking as we produced our plan.

With a spotlight on serious violence, the plan looks at how we tackle this issue from all angles.

My Deputy Mayor for policing and crime, Alison Lowe, and l, have also been working tirelessly with the police and the wider criminal justice system to ensure that victims get the justice they deserve, whilst also commissioning services to ensure survivors get the support they need.

And while we will continue to fight for justice, we need to focus on stopping serious violence from happening in the first place. Because every young life lost to knife crime is one too many and it shames us all that is where we find ourselves.

We must intervene. And we will do this by taking a public health approach - placing the emphasis on prevention and early intervention – to halt serious violence in its tracks.

To protect future generations, we must actively listen to our young people - understanding the issues they are facing, not assume that we, as adults, know best.

I am proud to say that here at the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, we have adopted a Child First approach. This means treating children as children, placing their views at the heart of our decision making.

That’s why the work of our West Yorkshire Youth Commission is so vital. Some of the brightest engaged young people helped shape our approach to violent crime and exploitation, and their contribution has been pivotal in our thinking.

This group spoke with thousands of young people who shared their stories and recommendations on what we, as politicians, must and should do differently.

They have called for more creative outlets and opportunities to express themselves, more sport and music, as well as safe, secure spaces for young people to get off the streets.

Too often we see children fall into criminality due to a lack of opportunities, but here in West Yorkshire we have plans to increase skills training, high-quality jobs and better transport connections.

I will also continue to fund local groups engaging with at-risk young people through my Mayor’s Safer Communities Fund, which gives proceeds of crime back to the community, offering outlets such as music, sport, art and drama.

The incredible prevention and early-intervention work these groups are doing at a grass-roots level is vital when it comes to creating a safer, fairer West Yorkshire.

Everyone who knows me knows how passionate I am about tackling violence against women and girls. This issue remains a key priority, as we explore innovative ways to make a real difference through our Women’s Safety Unit – the first of its kind in the country. I welcome new measures proposed by the Government to strengthen stalking protection orders, in lockstep with the work we’ve been doing to protect stalking victims here in West Yorkshire.

It is also crucial that we work together to support vulnerable men and boys and clamp down on issues that disproportionately affect them, such as gang violence and knife crime. We must also recognise they are victims too and protect those at risk of victimisation by violent criminals.

That’s why reducing vulnerability must be a focus. We are prioritising early intervention and prevention, as well as looking at ways to reduce reoffending.

We need to listen to children and young people to understand the issues they’re facing and work in partnership to create a safer community for them to grow and flourish.

Tracy Brabin is the Mayor of West Yorkshire.