THE IMPACT of school exclusions on serious violent crime will be the focus of new research.

The West Yorkshire Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) has partnered with Crest Advisory to explore patterns, trends and contributory factors behind violence - with a special focus on the COVID-19 period. The unit is also considering the evidence around ‘what works’ to reduce unnecessary exclusions.

West Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Mark Burns-Williamson, said: “I have continued to raise the urgent need to address the dramatic reductions in youth services in recent years and the significant increases in school exclusions, which appear to be fuelling violent crime. The fact that the West Yorkshire (VRU) has now been able to partner with Crest Advisory to focus on this is a positive development in helping to better understand the connections locally.”