Tackling youth violence and knife crime - SACRYD

Demonstration to stop youth violence

Article from: http://www.obv.org.uk/news-blogs/tackling-youth-violence-and-knife-crime

A new national black community organisation is launched aimed at tackling the scourge of youth violence in black communities.

SACRYD is a new organisation made up of people from the voluntary, faith and private sectors, parents, young people Local Government and health organisations, which is committed to tackling knife and violent crime in black communities.

SACRYD (strategic alliance of communities rejecting youth destruction) is supported by organisations such as the Black Police Association, the Damiola Trust, the Peace Alliance, Eastside Academy, RESPECT (The Prison Service Ethnic Minority Support Network) and many more.

SACRYD say their intention is to avoid duplication of what already exists in terms of the many organisations, and individuals who are already working hard to address the problem of youth violence in both Black community and wider community. And that their intention is to bring a new a radically different focus to dealing with the horror of youth violence.

Adding that; “What has been recognised is the need for a strategic organisation that can facilitate a new, dynamic and more coordinated and strategic approach to tackling youth violence.
“This has become an urgent priority when so many are youth crime prevention groups facing cuts or complete closure as result of government cuts. There is an urgent need for organisations and community groups work together to identify, share and create new and sustainable sources of income for organisations working in this critical area”.

The organisation says that whilst there is a vast amount of information out there for parents and community organisations, statutory communication with the families who are victims of serious youth violence remain patchy and poor; and that often families don’t know where to turn to for much needed support.

SACRYD’s vision is to create a one stop source of information for parents, young people, practitioners that promotes a public health approach to tackling violence, that it seems, is becoming a permanent feature of inner city life. And to support those organisations that are proactively engaged in this area of work.

General Secretary Lee Jasper stated; “With cuts to youth services, increases in youth unemployment, decreases in policing numbers we fear that this may lead to increases in the current levels of youth violence. There is a growing sense of hopelessness and in many poor black communities the future for black youth looks bleak. It is vital that in such an environment that the Government adopts a proactive public health approach to tackling violence.

"Poor communities in times of economic hardship act as Petri dishes for the growth of violent crime it is therefore vital we adopt a longer term public health approach to educating communities about the social impact and human consequences of violent crime. We will also be looking to the private sector to step up and support many more youth crime prevention initiatives.”

The Black Police Association who supports the organisation believes that the launch of SACRYD marks an important juncture in the fight against senseless youth violence and murder. They say; “It is recognition of the fact that youth violence is a societal and public health issue. SACYRD will bring together a diverse range of concerned and talented people focused on addressing the issues of violence”.
Part of the work of SACRYD will focus on campaigning to educate and advocating for the adoption by Government of a public health approach to reducing violence and youth violence on particular.

Operation Black Vote is the first and only initiative to focus exclusively on the Black democratic deficit in the UK