Mayor of London adopts Cardiff Model

The Cardiff Model to tackle violence is now being used across London’s 29 Accident and Emergency Departments, the Mayor of London has confirmed.

And its adoption could pave the way for a citywide violence prevention board in the capital – an idea implemented in 1997 in the Welsh capital by the Model’s creator.

Pioneered by Cardiff University’s Professor Jonathan Shepherd, the Cardiff Model fills large gaps in police knowledge by gathering anonymised information at hospitals from people injured in violence which is not reported to police.

Data are shared amongst police, councils and licensing agencies to identify violence hotpots in city streets, licensed premises, parks, schools and other locations.

The Cardiff Model has been implemented worldwide, from the United States to Australia, and has led to changes such as targeted police patrols, polycarbonate glasses in bars, CCTV installation and pedestrian areas in entertainment districts.

In a recent letter to Professor Shepherd, Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, wrote: “Thank you for your kind words about the Information Sharing to Tackle Violence (ISTV) programme which is of crucial importance in my campaign to tackle violence in London.

“Senior officers from my Office for Policing And Crime (MOPAC) would be delighted to meet with you to discuss your ideas on a city violence prevention board further.”

Endorsing the letter, Paul Orders, Chief Executive of Cardiff County Council added: “It is good that Cardiff has led the way on this. I can see the significance of the model for London and what this will mean for wider adoption of the Cardiff approach. It is hugely exciting.”

The Model has been implemented in key US cities including Milwaukee and Philadelphia.

After its first adoption across Cardiff in 1997, violence fell more than 40% compared with 14 similar UK cities.

Today, violence related attendances at the University Hospital A&E are typically 35 per week – down from 80 per week 15 years ago.

Hospital admissions are also down, as are the costs of violence to the NHS and the criminal justice system – in 2007 alone, savings were estimated at £7m.

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