VRU: How dedicated unit helps support knife crime reduction

Partnership working is essential when it comes to knife crime - and as one of our partners dedicated to anti-violence efforts, Derby and Derbyshire's VRU are a huge support when it comes to tackling and preventing this.

The VRU came about as part of the government’s Serious Violence Strategy, introduced in 2018, which laid the groundwork for efforts to reduce and prevent serious violence across the UK, including Derbyshire.

The Serious Violence Duty, implemented in 2023, further strengthened these efforts with focused funding from the Home Office - funding which currently supports the Derby and Derbyshire Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), who are supporting Op Sceptre.

Sceptre, run by the National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC), is a twice-yearly opportunity to showcase what we are doing to educate people on knife crime and keep weapons off the streets. 

Op Sceptre in Derby and Derbyshire 

In Derbyshire, the work of both officers and VRU staff is highlighted during these weeks of action - directly addressing knife-related violence through proactive measures such as weapon sweeps, amnesty bins, and educational campaigns in schools and communities.

While Sceptre focuses on direct enforcement and awareness-raising, the VRU contributes by addressing underlying causes of knife crime, creating long-term solutions to reduce violence. 

How the VRU supports knife crime reduction  

The Derby and Derbyshire VRU primarily tackles broader social and environmental factors that lead to violence.

The VRU works with partners including Public Health, local councils, police, fire and rescue, probation services, youth justice services, schools, and community organizations.

This collaborative approach addresses risk factors for violence, such as poverty, lack of education, and adverse childhood experiences, creating protective factors that reduce the likelihood of young people carrying knives. 

Key Interventions Complementing Operation Sceptre 

• Hope Hack Workshops: Engaging young people aged 15-25 to shape a safer future and address community violence, fostering a sense of ownership and dialogue around key issues. 

• Active Bystander Training: Empowering young people in schools to intervene in potentially harmful situations, thus creating safer community environments. 

• Walk Away, One Punch Campaign: Raising awareness of violent encounters and encouraging behavioural change to prevent violence, including knife-related incidents. 

• Youth Mentoring Program: Targeting at-risk youth aged 10-17 through personalized support and guidance to steer them away from crime, including knife crime. 

• Chesterfield Vulnerability Hub: Providing a safe space for those at risk during high-violence periods, indirectly reducing the likelihood of knife-related incidents. 

• Support for Roma Community: Keeping Roma youth in school helps reduce risks of exclusion-related violence, including knife crime. 

• Virtual Decisions Program: Using VR technology to engage youth in knife crime prevention workshops. 

• Wellbeing Worker for Care Leavers: Offering mentorship and support to young people leaving care, reducing the risks associated with violent behaviour. 

By addressing root causes of violence, the VRU is helping to build Derby and Derbyshire’s resilience against knife crime. 

Op Sceptre highlights enforcement and immediate prevention which is already happening, and the VRU’s interventions lay the groundwork for long-term change in serious violence offending, making Derbyshire safer for all. 

To find out more about the VRU's work, visit the Derby and Derbyshire Violence Reduction Unit website