MORE than £1 million is going towards tackling county lines and supporting young, vulnerable people from criminal exploitation in Essex.

The Home Office has given £1,160,000 to Essex’s Violence and Vulnerability Unit for 2021/22 from its £35.5 million funding pot awarded to 18 violence reduction units in the country in areas worst affected by serious violence.

Mike Lilley, Colchester Council’s portfolio holder for communities, wellbeing and public safety, said: “We welcome any money coming in to Essex to help us fight crime as there are serious issues here.

“County lines issues are rife in our area.

“We would have wanted more funding to be honest, but this money is a positive step forward.”

Mr Lilley said Colchester has county line problems similar to many towns and cities around the country.

He added: “We know there are at least two county line gangs in Greenstead and the police are continuing to act on information they receive from the public.

“They have done quite a few drugs busts over the past few weeks.”

The Essex Violence and Vulnerability Unit carries out joint operations, interventions, awareness campaigns and education programmes to support young people who are being, or at risk of being, exploited and involved in crime.

The Unit works with professionals to educate them on the signs of exploitation, funds youth work and community groups to run and create targeted diversionary activities and programmes that steer young people away from crime and gang culture, and carries out research and data analysis which informs and supports prevention programmes and health intervention programmes

Roger Hirst, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex said: “Violence has no place in our society. We must tackle violence at its root cause and work with the public and partners to create the safe and secure communities we all want and which allow all of us to flourish and prosper.

“Gangs that exploit people and coerce them into a life of crime are preying on some of the most vulnerable people in our society.

“While no agency can tackle this alone, in Essex we know working together, through our Violence and Vulnerability Unit, can turn the tide against these gangs, protect the vulnerable and help to ensure we all live prosperous lives.”

“Protecting children and vulnerable people from harm and tackling gangs and serious violence are priorities in our Police and Crime Plan and they are important to the people of Essex who want to make sure their young people are protected and that violent activity is removed from our communities.

“In Essex we are making progress by using multi-agency prevention activities focussed on positive activities for young people, mentoring programmes and interventions at ‘reachable’ moments – all delivered in partnership with police, councils, health, education, criminal justice agencies, faith groups, voluntary organisations, fire & rescue and the community sector. This work is backed up and supported through a strong surge in enforcement by Essex Police.

“The announcement today that the Essex VVU will receive funding in 2021/22 validates the work we are doing and the inroads we are making to make our communities safer.”