Draft strategy to tackle violence and 'hidden crime' in Wolverhampton backed

Cabinet members at Wolverhampton Council signed off on the proposals which have a focus on tackling re-offending – and well as hate crime – in the city.

The strategy, which runs until 2023, is expected to be signed off by the authority's full council meeting later this month.

Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, cabinet member for public health and wellbeing, said: "The draft Community Safety and Harm Reduction Strategy has built on the successes of the previous strategy between 2017 and this year.

"The number of reports of domestic abuse has increased which shows there is confidence of people coming forward – and there's a dedicated website to tackle hate crime.

"We're helping young people make positive decisions but there's also been challenges, like the restructuring of the National Probation Service which has delayed some work across the region.

"There's also been work done to increase support around hidden crime – hate crime and modern slavery – and this will be built on in the new strategy."

Councillor Jaspal said the strategy, drawn up by the Safer Wolverhampton Partnership group, has a community-based approach.

It focuses on how important areas in the city are in helping bringing people to together to tackle violence, re-offending and helping to identify those in need earlier.

The report said: "Whilst community empowerment and engagement have been strong themes in previous strategies, building community capacity has been identified as a priority in the 2020-2023 strategy to reflect the vital role which communities can play in helping to reduce crime and disorder, supporting victims of crime and reducing harm and victimisation."

Council leader Ian Brookfield added: "The new ways of working – the place-based approach – it's been fantastic at the Avion Centre and you take the whole community with you in order to tackle the underlying issues."