Put police in schools in areas of high-crime risk

All schools in areas with an above-average risk of serious youth violence should have dedicated police offices by April 2020, a report by the Home Affairs Committee has said.

The report, which considers the rise in serious youth violence in recent years, has said that the government’s Serious Violence Strategy is a "completely inadequate response" to youth crime.

Police-recorded homicides have increased by over a third in the last five years, and knife offences have risen by over 70 per cent. The number of under-18s admitted to hospital with knife injuries also rose by a third between 2013–14 and 2017–18. A growing number of young males, in particular, are being murdered on the streets.

The report says that by committing the money for officers in the government's autumn spending review, it would become part of a drive to "rebuild vital links" with the communities affected.

The report also recommends that the government increases funding for youth outreach workers and community youth projects, and that action is taken to reduce the number of pupils excluded from school, and to offer more support to those in alternative schools.