Crime


Inquiry identifies ‘failings’ in council’s handling of serious sexual offences 26/10/2021 Edinburgh Council has published a report which identified ‘failings’ in the local authority’s handling of historical complaints against an employee who was subsequently charged with serious sexual offences.
Third round of safer streets funding is allocated 04/10/2021 Local authorities and police forces across England and Wales have been awarded £23.5m to help make women and girls feel safer in public spaces.
More than £1m to help city recover from Keyham shootings 23/09/2021 More than £1m has been allocated to help Plymouth recover from the Keyham tragedy.
Call for a cross-system approach to tackle violence against women and girls 20/09/2021 Local authorities will play a key role in ending 'an epidemic' of violence against women and girls, a new report has said.
Former employees convicted of fraud against council 13/09/2021 Two women have been found guilty of creating a 'phantom' employee to defraud a council and a charity out of more than £40,000.
Plymouth council leader ‘shocked and saddened’ by shooting 13/08/2021 The leader of Plymouth City Council has said he is ‘shocked and saddened’ after six people were killed yesterday in a shooting incident.
Councils given £13m to help prison leavers find secure homes 28/07/2021 Over 140 councils across England have been awarded a share of £13m to provide longer-term accommodation to prison leavers.
Eight more regions to become Project ADDER Accelerator sites 28/07/2021 Eight more local authorities will become Project ADDER Accelerator sites to help tackle drug misuse and crack-down on drug-related crime.
Council steps up security after vandalism at Low Traffic Neighbourhoods 20/07/2021 Lambeth Council has been forced to install security measures after vandals targeted its Low Traffic Neighbourhood schemes.
Council leader's car targetted in 'abhorrent' arson attack 15/07/2021 A man has been arrested after a car belonging to the leader of Oldham Council was deliberately set on fire.
Girls increasingly becoming victims of county lines drug gangs, councils warn 09/07/2021 County lines drug gangs are increasingly targeting girls and young women, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned.
Review calls for significant investment in drug treatment 08/07/2021 Local authorities should be given an extra £550m over the next five years to deliver drug treatment in their local communities, an independent review has said today.
Online toolkit available for tackling youth violence 28/06/2021 Local authorities now have access to an online toolkit which will help them determine what activities are best for preventing children becoming involved in violence.
Seven people charged following missing £10.25m council loan 22/06/2021 Seven people have been charged in connection with a missing £10.25m council loan to Northampton Town FC.
Council calls for sentence review after attack on litter warden 21/06/2021 Dudley Council has criticised the 'unduly lenient' sentences given to two men who attacked and racially abused a litter warden.
Lack of services sees thousands of people with a mental disorder sent to prison, says report 08/06/2021 Thousands of people with a mental health disorder are being sent to prison due to a lack of services, a new report has warned.
Areas chosen to share Safer Streets Fund 04/06/2021 The Government has announced the 40 areas that will share more than £18m to make streets safer and crack down on neighbourhood crime.
Landowner sentenced to jail for siting caravans on greenbelt 06/05/2021 A landowner has been given a suspended jail sentence by the High Court after siting caravans on greenbelt land in Cheshire East.
All-female team create new guide to support safer public spaces 26/04/2021 A new guide to help local authorities create safer journeys for women has been published.
Figures show rise in sexual and criminal exploitation under lockdown 07/04/2021 Criminal and sexual exploitation has risen ‘dramatically’ during the pandemic, new data has warned today.
Crack down on abuse of modern slavery safeguards 22/03/2021 Local authorities will receive training to help frontline staff identify genuine victims of modern slavery.
Safer streets fund doubled after death of Sarah Everard 16/03/2021 The Government has doubled the Safer Streets fund to provide better lighting and CCTV following the death of Sarah Everard.
Home secretary announces £23m to tackle exploitation of young people 08/03/2021 A children’s charity has called for a national strategy to provide help for children at risk of exploitation rather than a strategy focusing on ‘hot spots’.
Woman jailed for defrauding London council 02/03/2021 A woman has been sentenced to 12-months’ imprisonment for defrauding the Royal Borough of Greenwich out of nearly £10,000.
Government announces £35.5m to tackle violence at local level 09/02/2021 Local communities are set to benefit from a multi-million-pound funding boost to help support measures tackling serious violence.
Report calls for a joined up public health approach to gangs 08/02/2021 Local authorities are failing to tackle the key drivers for youth violence in their areas, the Children's Commissioner has warned in a new report.
New £40m fund launched to support victims of abuse 01/02/2021 The Government has launched a £40m fund to help victims of rape and domestic abuse during the pandemic.
New strategy 'a golden opportunity' to tackle child sexual abuse 22/01/2021 A new strategy to protect children from all forms of child sexual abuse has been published by the Government today.
Former councillor jailed for electoral fraud 21/01/2021 A former councillor has been jailed and ordered to pay Redbridge Council more than £28,000 after committing electoral fraud.
Councils welcome £148m funding boost to cut misuse of drugs 20/01/2021 Five areas across England will pilot a new approach to tackling drug misuse under plans announced today by the Government.
Criminals publish stolen council data online 07/01/2021 Data stolen from Hackney Council in a cyber attack last October has been published online by the criminals responsible.
Liverpool to undergo best value inspection 17/12/2020 Liverpool City Council will undergo an inspection of whether it is complying with its best value duty after the arrest of its mayor.
Man convicted for dropping bowling ball on council worker’s head 15/12/2020 A man has been convicted of grievous bodily harm after he dropped a bowling ball on a council worker’s head from an upper window.
'Data desert' on vulnerable children and county lines, report warns 03/12/2020 Local authorities and police forces are failing to identify the number of vulnerable children being exploited by criminal gangs, a new report has warned.
Funding boost to support rape and domestic abuse victims 18/11/2020 Nearly £11m in new funding to support domestic abuse and rape victims this winter has been announced.
Police make first Grenfell arrest 26/10/2020 Detectives investigating the fire have arrested a man on suspicion of perverting the course of justice.
Report calls for extra investment in women's centres 20/10/2020 The Government has been urged to invest more funding in women's centres to help reduce the number of women in prison, in a new report published today.
Charity calls for more support for county lines victims 25/09/2020 A new strategy is needed to identify and support county lines victims, according to The Children's Society.
Government announces nearly £3m for violence prevention 21/08/2020 The Government has announced that it is committing £2.9m to hundreds of frontline charities working on violence prevention projects.
Charity warns of increase in gang activity post-lockdown 03/06/2020 Criminal gangs are using new ways of exploiting children in the wake of coronavirus, a new report has warned.
We can’t let the loudness of lockdown drown out the voices of the most vulnerable 29/04/2020 Emma Lewis describes why now more than ever we must shine a light on the experiences of those who cannot speak up for themselves.
Man jailed for racially abusing a council worker 07/04/2020 A man has been jailed after racially abusing a council worker in Bristol, accusing them of bringing coronavirus into the country.
Domestic abuse puts children at more risk of exploitation, review warns 01/04/2020 There is an overlap between children’s experience of domestic abuse and their offending behaviour, a review has concluded today.
MPs warn youth services cuts are increasing knife crime 10/03/2020 Councils should have a legal duty to deliver a minimum level of youth services to help prevent knife crime, MPs have argued today.
Youth services bearing brunt of 'drastic' cuts finds report 03/03/2020 Youth services have a vital role to play in tackling crime, gang culture and loneliness, a charity has argued today.
Council chiefs call for funding for domestic abuse services 03/03/2020 Local authority leaders have welcomed the re-introduction of a Bill aimed at protecting victims of domestic abuse, but called on the Government to fund services designed to prevent violence in the home.
Knife crime ‘epidemic’ fuelled by cuts, committee says 13/02/2020 Cuts to important and life-saving services for vulnerable young people have caused a rise in knife crime, according to a new report.
Khan announces over £55m of funding to tackle causes of crime 13/02/2020 Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, today announced that £55.5m of new funding will be available for tackling the underlying causes of violent crime in the capital.
Councils urge retailers to become 'no knife shops' 10/02/2020 Councils are urging retailers not to sell knives in an effort to tackle the knife crime epidemic.
Council offers pioneering family therapy to reduce gang crime 31/01/2020 Redbridge Council has become the first in the UK to deliver a ground-breaking family therapy service for young people at risk of joining gangs.
New £25m fund launched for ‘preventative approach’ to crime 27/01/2020 The Home Office is launching a new multi-million pound scheme which will see more street lights and gated alleyways rolled out across the country in order to tackle crime.
Child sexual exploitation cases in Greater Manchester ‘reopened’ 14/01/2020 Victims of child sexual exploitation in Greater Manchester are having their cases newly investigated as a result of a review commissioned by the Mayor of Greater Manchester.
Lack of joint working in the fight against ‘county lines’ puts children at risk 10/01/2020 Local authorities don’t always tell the police when they move ‘at risk’ children into their areas, a new report has warned.
Home secretary announces £35m to focus on ‘root causes’ of crime 02/01/2020 Eighteen police and crime commissioners will receive £35m to fund specialist teams to tackle violent crime in their area, the home secretary has announced.
Former council employee who falsified air quality data convicted of fraud 20/12/2019 A former Waverley Borough Council employee has been given a suspended prison sentence for committing fraud after falsifying air quality data.
'Ambitious programme of domestic reform' promised in Queen's Speech 19/12/2019 The second Queen’s Speech in almost as many months has promised an ‘ambitious programme of domestic reform’.
Rogue west London landlord fined over £400,000 18/12/2019 A landlord in west London has been ordered to pay £430,000 for illegally renting out her property to 15 tenants.
Councils warn FGM is still under-reported 29/11/2019 There have been 22,500 new cases of FGM identified in the past four years, according to new figures published by NHS Digital.
Charity warns child cruelty is rising every year 28/11/2019 The number of child cruelty and neglect offences have risen every year for the past five years, new analysis has shown.
Teenager stabbed to death at council offices 08/11/2019 A muder investigation has been launched after a teenager was stabbed to death at a London council’s office.
Councils given extra £4m to tackle rogue landlords 05/11/2019 Councils have been awarded an extra £4m in new funding to take action against criminal landlords.
Birmingham CC welcomes extension of injunction banning ‘street cruising’ 31/10/2019 A court has agreed to extend an injunction banning street cruising from the roads of Birmingham for another three years, the city council has confirmed.
Pioneering project ‘diverts’ children from organised crime 29/10/2019 A programme diverting young people away from a life of serious organised crime is set to be rolled out to a number of cities across the UK, a children’s charity has announced.
MPs call for ‘decriminalising’ drug possession 23/10/2019 MPs have called for a ‘radical change’ to drugs policy as a report warns the rate of drug-related deaths has risen to ‘the scale of a public health emergency’.
Khan announces £4m for London youth workers 16/10/2019 The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced he will invest £4m to increase the number of youth workers in hospitals across the capital.
Trial launched into providing a stable home for ex-offenders 11/10/2019 A scheme to give prisoners a place to live when they are released is now being trialled in Leeds, London and Bristol, it has been announced.
Priti Patel unveils £20m funding to tackle county lines 02/10/2019 The Government has announced a package of new measures to tackle county lines drugs gangs.
Over 4,000 young people ‘exploited’ by County Lines gangs 20/09/2019 Figures released by the Mayor of London’s office have revealed that there are more than 4,000 young people involved in County Lines operating out of London.
Whitehall launches £30m fund to fight online ‘predators’ 17/09/2019 The Government has announced a £30m fund to help tackle paedophiles operating online.
Councils accused of acting as 'recruiting sergeants' for drug gangs 17/09/2019 Lack of money and increasing demand have been blamed after an allegation that councils were unwittingly acting as 'recruiting sergeants' for drug gangs.
Retailers urged to ‘assess-challenge-check’ customers buying knives 11/09/2019 Shops are being urged to take more care in who they sell knives to as part of an effort to crack down on knife crime.
Housing fraud costs councils £16m each year 10/09/2019 People who claim to live alone in order to get a council tax discount cost the local government sector nearly £16m a year, a new study has found.
Six men found guilty of child abuse in Rotherham 29/08/2019 Six men have been convicted of child sexual abuse offences as part of the ongoing investigation into the exploitation of vulnerable teenagers in Rotherham.
Council finds 500-year-old stolen clock 28/08/2019 West Suffolk Council has located an antique clock after it was stolen during a break in nearly six decades ago.
Man admits sending anthrax hoax to councillors and MPs 23/08/2019 A man has pleaded guilty to sending fake anthrax to female councillor and MPs over a period of three years.
Crime-fighting funds in scarce supply - survey 21/08/2019 Three out of four UK council chief executives and leaders do not have access to enough funding to tackle rising levels of violent youth crime, a survey has found.
Areas worst affected by violence awarded £35m 13/08/2019 The 18 areas most affected by serious violence have been awarded £35m by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
London Councils call for ‘adequate resources’ to fight knife crime 08/08/2019 London boroughs have backed a call urging the new prime minister to tackle knife crime and said the Government needs to ensure councils have ‘adequate resources’ for frontline services.
Khan announces £1.1m sports funding to tackle crime 01/08/2019 London mayor Sadiq Khan has announced £1.1m funding for sports groups as part of a drive to stop young people getting involved in crime and violence.
MPs declare youth violence to be ‘social emergency’ 31/07/2019 Young people have been failed in the ‘most devastating way’ by the Government, MPs have said, as they warn that youth violence is a ‘social emergency’.
Council tenant fined £100,000 for illegal sublet 30/07/2019 A council tenant has been fined £100,000 and evicted from his property by Westminster City Council after he illegally sublet his flat through Airbnb.
Domestic abuse victims in rural areas ‘failed’ by system 17/07/2019 Victims of domestic abuse living in the countryside are ‘isolated, unsupported and unprotected’ a damning report has warned today.
Javid announces ‘public health duty’ to tackle violent crime 15/07/2019 Sajid Javid will this week announce a new legal duty which will require local authorities and other public bodies to prevent and tackle serious violence.
Primary school children targeted for ‘county lines’ drug trafficking 05/07/2019 The response from statutory agencies to ‘county lines’ drug dealing is ‘too often haphazard’, a charity warns as new report reveals children as young as seven are being exploited by criminal gangs.
Think tank calls for creation of ‘investment state’ 03/07/2019 A think tank has called for an end to austerity and the creation of an ‘investment state’ to help boost economic growth.
Criminals making £100m a year from London’s illegal tobacco trade 28/06/2019 Illegal tobacco trade in London is bringing crime into communities and undermining stop smoking efforts, London Councils has warned today.
Watchdog warns of rapid rise in serious and organised crime 28/06/2019 An official report shows more investment is needed in local services to protect young people from the lure of gangs, council leaders have warned.
Town clerk jailed for defrauding council 13/06/2019 An assistant town clerk has been jailed for four years for stealing more than £200,000 from Rugeley Town Council.
Council apologises for failing to protect girls from grooming gang 11/06/2019 Kirklees Council has apologised for failing to protect two girls from abuse, after an independent review found opportunities were lost to protect them from exploitation.
Councils warn of new wave in council tax scams 10/06/2019 Criminals are posing as council staff to con people out of money, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned.
Care workers suffer from 6,000 violent attacks 10/06/2019 Care workers suffered more than 6,000 violent attacks resulting in serious injuries during the last five years, shocking new figures have shown.
Companies House reforms to make detection of criminal behaviour ‘easier’ 30/05/2019 The Government has launched a consultation on proposals it says will bring about the ‘biggest changes’ to Companies House in nearly two centuries.
Illegal tipping sites uncovered in 'sting' operation 29/05/2019 Dozens of illegal tipping sites have been discovered in a 'sting' operation by environment and customs officers.
Nearly 600 people arrested to tackle county lines drug gangs 21/05/2019 Nearly 600 people have been arrested in a single week for their suspected involvement in drug dealing across county lines.
Councils ‘in the dark’ over youth service funding 15/05/2019 Local authority leaders have warned that councils ‘remain in the dark’ over youth service funding that helps tackle knife crime and county lines drug dealing.
London Councils welcome drug dealers being jailed in ‘landmark’ slavery case 15/05/2019 Three ‘county lines’ drug dealers have been sent to prison in a landmark case using the Modern Slavery Act.
Forty people investigated over child abuse in Rotherham 09/05/2019 Forty people have been arrested or interviewed over child sexual abuse in Rotherham in the past two months.
Fatal accidents and criminal liability 08/05/2019 Fatal accidents are usually preventable which leads to questions of responsibility and criminal liability. Guy Bastable and Tom McNeill seek to explain when organisations and individuals will be found criminally liable, for which offences, and with what sanction.
Cuts to youth services factor in rise of knife crime, MPs say 07/05/2019 The local areas that have experienced the largest cuts to their youth services budgets have seen increases in knife crime, MPs have revealed.
Whitehall announces measures to safeguard elections against ‘intimidation’ 07/05/2019 The Government today announced a range of new measures designed to help safeguard elections in the UK against ‘intimidation, influence and disinformation’.

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