Ipswich Borough Council resolved at its Council meeting yesterday (21 September 2022) to work to make the Gangs and County Lines Strategy even more effective in countering knife and other crimes.

We work in partnership with the police, the county council and others to focus on how we can counter child criminal exploitation and disrupt gangs by initiatives such as intervening directly with those vulnerable to being subjugated and telling parents and carers how they can help. Through this work we have had success in disrupting County Lines and knife crime but we know more must be done to ensure the safety of all in our town.

We will be looking swiftly at what more we can do to work towards minimising the scourge of knife crime and its consequences for both its victims as well as the wider disruption it causes.

Cllr Alasdair Ross, Ipswich Borough Council Portfolio Holder for Public Protection, says:

“Ipswich Borough Council is proud of leading on the Gangs and County Lines Strategy and how that with partners from the County Council, the Police, the Police and Crime Commissioner plus neighbouring councils, that Strategy is now working county-wide. We are now going to do even more and with an emphasis on dealing with knife crime and will be announcing this new work shortly.

“This Council condemns the Conservative Government’s funding cuts to the police service, criminal justice system, youth services and drug and rehabilitation services which have all contributed to the increase in knife crime. We call on the Government to provide sufficient additional funding.”