City’s MPs demand a taskforce to tackle violent crime across the city

The three Brighton & Hove MPs Peter Kyle [Lab], Caroline Lucas [Green] and Lloyd Russell-Moyle [Lab] all say that more and more of their constituents have been affected directly or indirectly by crime with violent crime an increasing concern. Over 5,700 incidents of violence have been recorded in Brighton & Hove so far in 2019.  

In a joint letter addressed to the Home Secretary, they claim that violent crime has risen by 108% in the city over the past eight years. During that period sexual offences and domestic violence have also increased and they ask for urgent and decisive action to be taken by Sussex Police. At the same time they lament the 22% reduction in full time police officers over the past decade.

They propose a violent crime taskforce is established in the city to tackle the problems and the root causes but the Home Office has countered by saying that work is being done across Sussex to tackle serious violent crime.

A national taskforce has been established and the Government launched its Serious Violence Strategy a year ago and a new national £200m youth endowment fund will go to projects supporting young people at risk of being drawn into violence

In their letter sent to the Home Office the MPs said: “We are aware that incidents of violent crime have been rising sharply across the country, which we believe have been driven by austerity, cuts to the police and other public services.”