Specialist staff to be placed at Newcastle and Sunderland hospitals to intervene with violent crime

Specialist staff are being placed in hospitals and local communities to tackle violent crime across the region.

A&E Navigators will be present within the emergency departments of Sunderland’s Royal Hospital and Newcastle’s RVI to identify young people who have come in with injuries or concerns linked to violent crime.

The bespoke service will provide full support and structured interventions for young people, under the age of 25, to reduce their risk of committing serious violence and to prevent them being exploited for crime.

Kim McGuinness, Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, said: “To bring an end to violent crime, we need to prevent it from happening in the first place. That’s why the Violence Reduction Unit works to educate young people on the dangers of becoming involved in crime, identifying those already showing signs of serious violence and addressing any risks in their life that could make them vulnerable to exploitation from organised crime groups.”

Specialist staff will also be on hand in local communities to deliver a range of interventions that are tailored to address individual needs as well as providing support to young people and families.

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McGuinness continued: “This new service provides a unique opportunity to reach young people at the point they are accessing our hospital A&E departments, with dedicated staff in place to understand what has led them to that moment and prevent it from happening time and time again. Community based staff will then provide tailored interventions and support for young people and their families, to break the cycle of violent crime.”

The Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit’s key priority is to reduce hospital admissions for knife related serious violence.

“Positive activities and interventions help us to address an individual’s needs, focus on areas of their life and take steps to improve it – things like re-engaging with education or training and employment opportunities all help to provide a deterrence from crime and to live a life without violence,” the PCC concluded.