Ed Balls announces £56m package to tackle youth crime

Children’s secretary Ed Balls today announced a £56.5m cash boost for projects to tackle youth crime across England.

The funding package will give £700,000 to 69 local authority areas over three years to help them deliver on the Youth Crime Action Plan, which was published in July. An immediate £90,000 cash injection will be available to each authority this year.

The money will fund increased numbers of street-based youth workers and ex-gang members to work with groups of young people involved in crime and disorder, help boost after school police patrols, provide positive activities for young people and place youth offending teams in police stations.

In addition, 20 local authorities will get an extra £100,000 this year to expand family intervention projects, under which practitioners work intensively with families where children are at risk of criminality.

Balls said: “This money, available through the Youth Crime Action Plan, will help local areas tackle youth crime by addressing both the causes of offending and offering the right support to help young people get their lives back on track.”

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