With partners we will:

Work with the National Crime Agency to tackle and reduce the number of gangs and criminals operating nationally.

Provide further investment in the Essex Police Serious Violence Unit to dismantle more County Lines drug gangs.

Support the use of Serious Violence Reduction Orders and the implementation of Offensive Weapon Homicide Reviews.

Through our Violence and Vulnerability Partnership we will:

• Protect vulnerable people from gangs while we deal with the hardened criminals who prey on them.
• Take a public health approach to crime, investing in activity proven to work and focusing on keeping young people free from crime and intervening early to help steer them towards a successful life course.
• Encourage and facilitate cooperation between public bodies in line with the government’s proposed public sector duty to reduce serious violence.
• Secure government funding and commission projects through the Partnership to work with people vulnerable to being groomed by gangs and County Lines and to target gang members to help them step away from a criminal lifestyle, so as to reduce serious violence in Essex.
• Strengthen the involvement of Housing and Mental Health Services so we can provide a stronger, more coordinated response.

Improve addiction treatment

• Work with the government and local partners to deliver a new, more effective, addiction strategy, so more people enter treatment and recover.
• Improve the quality and accessibility of addiction and substance misuse services and ensure we match services to local demand.
• Improve the criminal justice journey of addicted offenders including those given drug-treatment by courts and those who receive prison-based treatment.
• Work together with partners, charities, and providers to spot the early signs of addiction or vulnerability and intervene early and consistently.

So that we help Essex Police and partners crack down further on violence and drug gangs.