Gallery partnership to address youth violence

A new gallery at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds will take "a unique public health led approach to tackle the underlying causes of violent crime".

The project with the West Yorkshire Violence Reduction Unit of specialists across police, health, education, justice and youth services is due to open in January. 

It will feature Operation Jemlock – a police operation that confiscated hundreds of weapons and led to some 6,000 arrests over the past year. The partners also plan to work with community groups to tell real-life stories of youth violence.

The unit's director Chief Superintendent Jackie Marsh said engagement is crucial to long-term improvements in violent crime rates.

Dr Edward Impey, Director General & Master of the Armouries, said the institution shows how human experience is shaped by arms and armour to this day: "This is not a purely historical matter."

‘At the Sharp End: Tackling Violent Crime Together in West Yorkshire’ will be exhibited for six months and is expected to engage more than 100,000 people before touring the wider region.