We must not tolerate people, including children, living in fear, Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez told partners at a Serious Violence Summit in Plymouth on Monday, March 9. 

The event, hosted by the Commissioner, brought together senior leaders from Devon & Cornwall Police, local authorities, the fire service, probation service and the NHS to look at ways to tackle violence across the peninsula. 

The summit was held a week after the arrival in Plymouth of the Knife Angel, a striking 27ft (8m) sculpture created from more than 100,000 seized or surrendered blades which is situated near the Civic Centre in Armada Way until March 30.  

Attendees were welcomed by High Sheriff of Devon Caroline Harlow, who chaired the event which she described as a ‘pertinent and important’ gathering aimed at combating the ‘scourge of serious violence in our society’. 

Through presentations and workshops, those present had the opportunity to examine current evidence of serious violence and its drivers, hear expert advice on early years prevention, identify areas for improvement, strengthen collaboration and develop a collective strategic focus. 

Speaking at the event, Commissioner Hernandez said one death from violence is too many. 

She said: “Children living in fear is too much, and this isn’t the way we want to be in our society across our two counties. 

“This summit is about making sure that all our partners get involved because they have a duty under the law to collaborate to tackle the problem.” 

“My office will be collating all the ideas which were put forward during the event and will use them to inform decisions about how the government’s Serious Violence funding will be spent.”   

The Home Office has awarded Devon and Cornwall a Serious Violence Grant of £657,000 which is distributed among upper tier local authorities to deliver the Serious Violence Duty in 2026-27. The Duty is a legal requirement introduced under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, compelling key agencies to work together to prevent and reduce serious violence. 

It requires these bodies to share data, assess local needs, and develop strategies aimed at tackling issues such as knife crime, gun crime, and other forms of serious harm. 

In addition to this, Devon and Cornwall is one of 27 policing areas that will be receiving knife crime concentration funding in the 2026-27 financial year. The £487,000 funding will develop targeted interventions to support the communities most affected by knife crime.  

Serious violence is a priority in the Commissioner’s Police and Crime Plan 2025-29. You can find out more about how the plan sets the direction for Devon & Cornwall Police to tackle this issue here: https://devonandcornwall-pcc.gov.uk/police-and-crime-plan