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Violence Research Group

Cardiff Violence Prevention Group

Cardiff Violence Prevention Group
Standing, left to right: South Wales Police Commissioner's representative, Local Authority official, Cardiff Emergency Department senior nurse, Cardiff County Licensing official, Public Health lead, Cardiff Safety Partnership chief analyst, Cardiff Street Pastors' manager, three South Wales Police officers. Sitting: left to right: Cardiff Licensees Forum spokesman, Police Chief, Professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery (Group chairman)

The Cardiff Violence Prevention Group is the operational arm of the Violence Research Group and is a member of the World Health Organisation's Violence Prevention Alliance. As part of the statutory Cardiff Community Safety Partnership, it is responsible for violence prevention across the capital city of Wales.

Successful implementations 

The Cardiff Violence Prevention Group has implemented many of the innovations initiated and developed by the Violence Research Group. These include:

  • the use of Emergency Department data for violence prevention (the Cardiff Model);
  • the substitution of annealed with toughened and polycarbonate glassware; and 
  • the partnership approach to prevention which involves the police, city government and health working together.

Achievements

The Prevention Group's work is associated with a 50% reduction in violence-related Emergency Department attendances in the County over the period 2002-2014. The Group has hosted visits from successive Home Secretaries and representatives of police forces, city governments and safety organisations from across the UK and overseas including from the Netherlands, the United States and Australia.

Current initiatives

The Group's agenda remains sharply focused on achieving further reductions in violence. Current initiatives include:

  • work with city licensing authorities to improve alcohol regulation;
  • work with third sector organisations especially the Street Pastors;
  • the development of the pioneering Cardiff Alcohol Treatment Centre;
  • work with the UK departments of health to implement new information standards for violence prevention and wider implementation of the Cardiff Model for information sharing and use.