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TheScottish Violence Reduction Unit is aPolice Scotland initiative established in January 2005 (byStrathclyde Police) which uses apublic health approach to target all forms ofviolent behaviour including street/gang violence,domestic abuse,school bullying andworkplace bullying.
In April 2006, theScottish Government extended the SVRU’s remit nationwide (Scotland) thus creating a national centre of expertise on violent crime. In June 2019, following the success of the Scottish VRU and implementation of a new London unit headed byLib Peck (former leader of Lambeth council), theHome SecretarySajid Javid announced that he was giving £35m to police and crime commissioners in 18 local areas to set up their own local violence reduction units.[1] This would include over £3 million to set up a VRU in theWest Midlands.[2]
In 2008 the SVRU set up the Community Initiative to Reduce Violence (CIRV) in a bid to end violence between established street gangs once and for all. The initiative was heavily modelled on the successful Boston Ceasefire Project (Operation Ceasefire) and Cincinnati Initiative to Reduce Violence. The CIRV has three basic components (enforcement; services and programmes; the moral voice of the community) and is a partnership betweenPolice Scotland,Social services in Scotland,Education Scotland and other entities. Police operational activity, diversion projects, and help withcareers, education, andanger management are all used in an attempt to end gang violence. Within three years of its introduction, more than 400 young men had joined the initiative.[3]
Due to the correlation between alcohol misuse and violence in Scotland, in 2012 the SVRU piloted the use of SCRAMx transdermal alcohol monitors ("sobriety bracelets") which allow the blood alcohol concentration of the wearer to be monitored remotely so allowing compliance with sobriety to be monitored.[4]
In an interview with theGuardian newspaper Niven Rennie (Director of the SVRU since 2019) defended the use ofstop and search, saying it was a key element of the unit's early work ("you can't have enforcement without search").[1] Stop and search is a controversial power which gives police the authority to stop, question and search a person they suspect may be committing any of a variety of offences which often comes under criticism for giving police officers the power to target certain groups (for example, those from Black or Minority Ethnic communities).[5]
The Navigator programme works out of hospital emergency departments with the aim of stopping the "revolving door of violent injury" seen in Scottish hospitals and easing the pressure of violence on the NHS.[6]
The unit collaborates closely with theMedics Against Violence charity, which sees NHS staff and healthcare students educate secondary pupils on the risks and consequences of engaging in violence. In addition, MAVS provides training to dentists to intervene indomestic violence while the patient is in the dentist's chair.[7]
As of 2019[update] the Violence Reduction Unit was led by director Niven Rennie after SVRU co-founder and former directorKaryn McCluskey became the new head ofCommunity Justice Scotland.[8][9]
As of 2023 the VRU is headed by Jimmy Paul.