The Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP) for Hampshire and Isle of Wight has witnessed a notable decrease in serious violence in the two areas.

The VRP’s Annual Report for 2023-2024, issued recently, underscores how various bodies, encompassing police, probation, health authorities, fire and rescue, youth justice services, local authorities, and communities have collaboratively contributed to this positive change.

It was established earlier this year by Donna Jones, the Police and Crime Commissioner.

The report indicates a 4.8 per cent decrease in serious violence in comparison to the previous year.

The Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), administered by the Commissioner's office, was crucial in this development.

The VRU's preventative measures, including its attendance at above 300 community events and workshops geared towards averting violence, was instrumental in this achievement.

The VRP has been implementing data-driven approaches to pinpoint areas with high incidences of serious violence.

This approach allows targeted deployment of police and resources effectively to these hotspots.

The VRP's focus has been on providing interventions for individuals under 25, aiming to guide them away from knife crime, serious violence, and exploitation throughout Hampshire and Isle of Wight.

Police and crime commissioner, Donna Jones, said: "It is clear that this collaborative approach is successfully bearing down on reducing serious violence across the two counties. By bringing agencies together under the umbrella of the VRP, the complexities of serious violence are being addressed from all angles.

"This report identifies that collective responsibility and working in partnership do make a difference."

VRU director, Jim Pegler, said: "This Annual Report is an important milestone for the VRP as it shows that a co-ordinated and committed partnership makes an impact and that means safer communities. There is so much more work to do, and I am confident we will continue to reduce the number of victims. Serious violence devastates lives, families and neighbourhoods and we are taking every opportunity to work with our communities to reduce the number of people suffering.

"The VRP’s achievements are a testament to the power of partnership working. By bringing together diverse stakeholders, the partnership has fostered a collaborative environment where knowledge, resources and expertise are shared. This has not only reduced serious violence but also built stronger and more productive relationships between the partner agencies."