Independent PCC candidate will build on success to get drug and knife crime numbers down With knife and drug crime a major concern in Avon and Somerset during recent years, independent candidate in the Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) elections, John Smith, pledges to build on successful schemes to get drug and knife crime numbers down if he is elected on Thursday 6 May. Illegal drug use and distribution are often a root cause of knife and violent crime. With the age of offenders reducing every year, local residents are becoming increasingly concerned that more young children are being drawn into a world of crime. If elected, John is pledging to put tackling these crimes at the top of his agenda, reduce the number of crimes being committed and make sure they are never normalised in Avon and Somerset. Commenting, John said: “I would never allow these crimes, especially when committed by young children, to become commonplace in our society. I know from my experience how concerned local people are about these incidents, and I pledge to prioritise reducing these crimes and diverting our young people away from crime if elected.” 8
Specifically, if elected John will: - Continue to funnel investment into the existing Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) set up in the last year across Avon and Somerset to bring the police together with councils, schools, health colleagues, the voluntary sector and communities to take a long-term, proactive approach to addressing serious violence. - Increase police enforcement via Operation Remedy, the proactive team set up in 2019 by John and the current independent PCC to tackle knife crime, drugs and burglary, that has already seen a 20% reduction in burglary. - Maintain early intervention and diversion activities for young people so they avoid getting drawn into crime, with successful schemes that are running across Avon and Somerset continued.
