By Joshua Robinson – 

The Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, launched the county’s first ‘Violence Reduction Partnership’ at a showcase event in Bradford yesterday, the 17th of July.

The switch from a Violence Reduction Unit marks the recent introduction of a Serious Violence Duty, placing legal expectations on key agencies.

The official definition of the Serious Violence Duty, as seen on the official government website, is as follows:

• “The Serious Violence Duty makes councils and local services work together to share information and target interventions to prevent and reduce serious violence.”

The event saw over 100 delegates from organisations, groups, and projects coming together to further develop the joint response to serious violence.

Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin said: “This represents more than just a change in name, it’s a pivotal moment in our partnership response to serious violence.”

“I’ve made it my mission to create a safe West Yorkshire, where all can flourish, and this is another stepping-stone to achieving that vision.”

Mayor Brabin added: “By working ever closer, we can find new solutions with our communities, creating a bigger impact.”

During 2022 and 2023, the Violence Reduction Unit spent over £3.3m on interventions, working with 46 organisations, supporting over 14,000 young people under 25 years to tackle serious violence.

Chief Superintendent Jackie Marsh, Director of the West Yorkshire Violence Reduction Partnership, is also speaking at the event and said: “Together, we have made some great strides in preventing and reducing serious violence across West Yorkshire.”

“Our new partnership emphasis will help build upon that momentum, creating the right conditions to embed the Serious Violence Duty.”

Chief Superintendent Marsh added: “It ultimately means we can better support and protect our young people from the harms of serious violence.”