Responsible Retailers
Specialist Police Officers dedicated to working with businesses are working with retailers across the county to clamp down on the sale of knives in a bid to drive down crime. Officers have been visiting businesses that sell knives to seek their agreement to sign a “Responsible Retailer Initiative”, a fresh agreement around the ethical and […]
Meeting the High Sheriff
The VVU had the pleasure of welcoming the High Sheriff Charles Bishop and his wife Nellie to Kelvedon Park last Tuesday so they could learn more about the work of the Violence and Vulnerability Unit and our approach to tackling serious violence. The team spoke in detail about the local projects we support, the use […]
Colchester welcomes the Knife Angel
The Knife Angel arrived in Colchester on the 1 October. A tightly navigated route into Colchester saw the sculpture secured in position by the Jumbo Tower where it will remain for the next month. Since the sculpture has been in the city, volunteers at the site have engaged with hundreds of members of the public, […]
Knife Harm Awareness Week and Operation Sceptre
“If there are two things I want people to understand, it’s that not everyone is carrying a knife – not even close – and that you should never think that carrying one is good for protection.” Those are the words of Detective Chief Inspector Ian Hughes, of Essex Police serious violence unit, as a week-long […]
Campaign to raise awareness of knife harm
New research undertaken by the Essex Violence and Vulnerability Unit (VVU) shows that 69% of parents in Essex are concerned about knife crime in their local area. Two thirds of parents are also worried about their child becoming a victim of knife crime. The VVU has responded to these concerns by producing four short films […]
Community Grants launched for 2023 delivery
We have launched our Community Grants fund for 2022 – 2024. As a partnership, our goal is to reduce serious violence, the harm it causes, and to safeguard those at risk, specifically relating to county lines, gangs and knife crime. Local organisations do some amazing work that addresses these issues and the grant fund is […]
