The Community Safety Scrutiny Committee reviewed the Lincolnshire Serious Violence Prevention Strategy and received an update on its progress. The committee unanimously agreed to request a further update in 12 months.

Lincolnshire Serious Violence Prevention Strategy Update

The committee reviewed the annual update of the Lincolnshire Serious Violence Prevention Strategy 2025-2028. This strategy is delivered through the Safer Lincolnshire Partnership (SLP) and aims to prevent and reduce serious violence across the county. The Serious Violence Duty, introduced in 2022, mandates collaboration between specified authorities to address serious violence, with a focus on early intervention, prevention, supporting communities, and law enforcement.

Lincolnshire is considered a relatively safe place to live, work, and visit, ranking within the top 12 safest force areas in England and Wales. The strategy's key performance indicators (KPIs) include reductions in hospital admissions for assaults with a knife or sharp object, a reduction in recorded knife and sharp object-enabled serious violence incidents, and a reduction in homicides. While hospital admissions for knife assaults have remained stable, there has been a slight increase in recorded knife and sharp object-enabled serious violence incidents, which is considered within normal statistical variation. Homicides recorded by Lincolnshire Police have significantly decreased in 2025 compared to 2024.

The delivery of the strategy is managed through funded projects, with £358,133.50 in grant funding received from the Home Office for both the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 financial years. Ten projects were delivered in 2025-2026, and seven projects, including new initiatives like Active Gainsborough (a diversionary sports programme) and Lincolnshire Safe Spaces (a network of safe venues), are planned for 2026-2027. The future of central government funding beyond March 2027 is uncertain, leading to a requirement for project sustainability plans.

The committee discussed the importance of community engagement in understanding and addressing feelings of safety. While surveys are used, there is a recognition that more robust methods are needed to capture the voices of all community members, particularly hard-to-reach groups. The council is actively working to improve its engagement processes.

Concerns were raised about the potential for the loudest voice to dominate in strategic partner meetings, but it was clarified that decisions are largely evidence-based, focusing on where the evidence of risk and need is greatest. The Safe Lincoln Partnership Strategic Group, comprising statutory partners, plays a key role in these discussions.

Councillor Trevor John Bridgwood highlighted the need to make young people aware of the numerous activities available to them, such as the Fire Cadets and Sea Cadets, to combat the perception that there's nothing to do. A comprehensive assessment of activities aimed at young people has been produced by the University of Lincoln and will be shared with partners.

The discussion also touched upon the prevalence of adult antisocial behaviour, which is noted to be higher than that of young people, and the need to address this alongside youth-focused initiatives. The importance of accurate data collection was stressed, with a recognition that a low survey response rate might not provide a full picture. The council is actively looking for gaps in data to ensure all voices are heard.

The committee unanimously agreed to review the report and seek assurance on the approach taken by the Lincolnshire Serious Violence Prevention Strategy, requesting a further update in 12 months.