Commendation for Wellingborough officer's work to help gang members

An officer who has been working to help gang members leave drugs and violence behind them has been commended for his efforts.

Police Inspector Daryl Lyon, who is head of Community Initiative to Reduce Violence (CIRV), has received a commendation from Wellingborough mayor Cllr Jo Beirne.

Insp Lyon attended an event at the council earlier this month with the police, fire and crime commissioner, and spoke to councillors and guests about the significant impact which the programme is making.

CIRV is a multi-agency programme that has been designed to help gang members leave drugs and violence behind.

First established in February 2019, in just one year it has received 960 referrals and at any one time approximately 20 to 35 gang members are electronically monitored via GPS 24/7.

A third of the UK Police Forces have been to observe CIRV as it is increasingly seen as national best practice in supporting people to leave gangs.

The mayor attended a CIRV call-in last summer where young people were told and shown what might happen if they continued on the wrong path.

She was immediately moved and inspired by the work the CIRV team under his leadership is doing.

The mayor held a special presentation to thank him for his work on behalf of the people of Wellingborough.

Cllr Jo Beirne said: “If, as a society, we believe that our youth who find themselves on the wrong path can be turned around and supported to become valued members of society, CIRV is one of the initiatives to do this.

“Inspector Lyon has achieved incredible results in a short period of time.

"He is working with young people with complex needs and problems.

"Because of CIRV’s multi-agency approach, the team can meet the needs of those young people if they want to change, and help them into a safer, better environment.

"They then work with them to get them back into mainstream society to give them inspiration and opportunities for their future.”

Insp Lyon added: “I am hugely grateful to The Borough Council of Wellingborough and the mayor for their support and recognition of the CIRV programme and I was delighted to attend on behalf of the CIRV team and its partners.

“CIRV has come a long way in a year from a standing start to now being one of the most prominent and well respected interventions of its kind in the country.

"We still have a lot to do but we are hugely proud of what we have achieved.

"CIRV is a collection of hugely skilled people who are really emotionally invested in what they do.

"None of this would have been possible without the ongoing support of local groups, the communities we serve and the OPFCC and I am very excited about the future of CIRV.”

To find out more about CIRV, go to https://www.northants.police.uk/police-forces/northamptonshire-police/areas/northamptonshire-force-content/about-us/about-us/cirv