Millions more funding for projects to make our streets safer
Forty areas鈥痟ave鈥痓een awarded 拢18.4 million鈥痶o make streets safer through projects to crack down on neighbourhood crimes like burglary, vehicle theft and robbery.
Forty areas鈥痑cross England and Wales have鈥痶oday鈥痓een awarded a total of 拢18.4 million鈥痶o make our streets safer through projects to crack down on neighbourhood crimes like burglary, vehicle theft and robbery.
The money, from the government鈥檚 Safer Streets Fund, will go towards measures proven to cut crime, including simple changes to the design of streets such as locked gates around alleyways, increased street-lighting and the installation of CCTV.鈥�
The third round of the Safer Streets Fund also opens today, providing another opportunity to bid from a fund of 拢25 million for the year鈥�2021/22.
This next round of funding will鈥痝o beyond鈥痚ssential environmental measures like improved street lighting鈥痑nd鈥痚ncourage police to鈥痵ecure innovative bids for鈥痯lans primarily focused on helping make women and girls feel safer on the streets, as well as projects which could include an emphasis on changing attitudes and behaviours鈥痠n local communities.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said:
鈥� 鈥淚 will not stand by while criminals inflict fear and misery on our communities,鈥痺hich鈥痠s why I launched the Safer Streets Fund to improve security in areas blighted by crimes like burglary, robbery and鈥痶heft.鈥�
鈥淏ut it鈥檚 more than just environmental change 鈥� we need to prevent people from committing these offences in the first place as we build back safer.
鈥淭hat is why the next round will rightly look at behaviour change, with a primary focus on women and girls who are disproportionately affected by crimes like harassment in public places.鈥�
Minister for Safeguarding Victoria Atkins said:
鈥淣o one should feel afraid while walking the streets, yet for so many people, particularly women and girls, a background hum of feeling uncomfortable or even unsafe in public spaces has become an all too common occurrence.
鈥淲e want this fund to help the police and local councils ensure that our streets are safe for everyone.鈥�
Association of Police and Crime Commissioners Prevention lead Roger Hirst said:
鈥淭oday鈥檚 announcement of 拢25m Safer Streets funding reflects the government鈥檚 confidence in elected Police and Crime Commissioners to effectively recognise local areas of need and deliver evidence-based crime prevention initiatives.
鈥淭he Safer Streets Fund allows PCCs to work with local partners in areas that are disproportionately affected by neighbourhood and acquisitive crime, investing in preventative approaches to make communities safer. Preventing crime in the first place is better for the public and reduces demand on policing, as demonstrated by the first round of Safer Streets announced in 2020, which funded 52 projects across 35 PCC areas.
鈥淚 also warmly welcome the launch of Round 3 of the Fund, which aims to increase the safety of public spaces, with a specific focus on the safety of women and girls.
鈥淭his additional 拢25m fund has been made available to PCCs to deliver a range of interventions including CCTV, street lighting, educational products and neighbourhood watch schemes. PCCs will now work in close consultation with representative groups and those with lived experience to ensure voices of women and girls are at the forefront of their applications.鈥�
National Police Chiefs鈥� Council Chair, Martin Hewitt said:
鈥淣eighbourhood crimes such as burglary and theft have a detrimental effect on local communities, with people often scared to leave their homes.
鈥淲e know that better street lighting or CCTV can do a lot to prevent crime, which is why we welcome the latest round of the Safer Streets Funding to ensure projects can continue to have a positive impact on the communities that are hardest hit.
鈥淲e also know that changing attitudes is key in the long run, which is why police and local authorities are being encouraged to focus new bids on behaviour change and community engagement.鈥�
Safer Streets is just one of the ways the government is working to鈥痶ackle violence against women and girls.
In March, the鈥疕ome Office reopened its call for evidence on violence against women and girls, to hear views on this hugely important issue.鈥疧ver 180,000 responses were received鈥痑nd are helping to inform the new cross-government Violence Against鈥疻omen and Girls Strategy and complementary Domestic Abuse Strategy, which will be published later this year.
The Home Office is also working closely with police on a new online tool aimed at women and girls, which will allow people to pinpoint locations in their local area where they have felt unsafe.
Since its inception last year, the Safer Streets Fund has allowed forces to invest in transformative鈥痗rime prevention initiatives.
For example, in Humberside, in one of the most deprived estates in the country, funding has gone towards upgrading 20 communal entrances to blocks that drive a high level of burglary and installing 18 secure storage facilities for bikes and motorbikes.
Alongside this, they have installed secure fencing and gates and there is now a dedicated community outreach programme to support residents and victims of crime on the estate.
Projects across the country have also focused on setting up Neighbourhood Watch鈥痝roups, increased Automated Numberplate Recognition Technology and CCTV鈥痑nd introducing wardens to undertake community engagement and train members of the public in crime prevention.鈥�
A full list of the successful recipients for the second round of Safer Streets is as follows:
| PCC or local authority | Grant funding awarded (拢) | Number of bids鈥痗overed鈥� |
|---|---|---|
| Bedfordshire PCC | 432,000 | 1 |
| Birmingham City Council鈥� | 432,000鈥� | 1鈥� |
| Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council鈥� | 432,000鈥� | 1鈥� |
| Bristol City Council鈥� | 398,000鈥� | 1 |
| Cambridge and Peterborough PCC鈥� | 430,000鈥� | 1 |
| Cheshire PCC鈥� | 432,000鈥� 鈥� | 1 |
| Chesterfield Borough Council鈥� 鈥� | 432,000鈥� 鈥� | 1 |
| Cleveland PCC鈥� 鈥� | 366,289鈥� 鈥� | 1 |
| Cumbria PCC鈥� 鈥� | 311,358鈥� 鈥� | 1 |
| Durham PCC鈥� 鈥� | 670,864鈥� 鈥� | 2 |
| Dyfed Powys PCC鈥� 鈥� | 87,338鈥� 鈥� | 1 |
| Essex PFCC鈥� 鈥� | 432,000鈥� 鈥� | 1 |
| Exeter City Council鈥� 鈥� | 432,000鈥� 鈥� | 1 |
| Great Yarmouth Borough Council鈥� 鈥� | 96,000鈥� 鈥� | 1 |
| Gwent PCC鈥�� 鈥� | 699,564鈥� 鈥� | 2 |
| Hampshire PCC鈥�� 鈥� | 699,030鈥�� 鈥� | 2 |
| Hertsmere Borough Council鈥��� 鈥� | 116,000鈥�� 鈥� | 1 |
| Humberside PCC鈥��� 鈥� | 431,564鈥�� 鈥� | 1 |
| Ipswich Borough Council鈥��� 鈥� | 422,200鈥��� 鈥� | 1 |
| Kent PCC鈥���� 鈥� | 769,436鈥��� 鈥� | 2 |
| Leicestershire PCC鈥���� 鈥� | 432,000鈥��� 鈥� | 1 |
| Lincolnshire PCC鈥���� 鈥� | 244,801鈥��� 鈥� | 1 |
| Manchester City Council鈥���� 鈥� | 432,000鈥��� 鈥� | 1 |
| Mayor鈥檚 Office for Policing and Crime鈥���� 鈥� | 725,996鈥�� 鈥� | 2 |
| Merseyside PCC鈥���� 鈥� | 819,532鈥� 鈥� | 2 |
| Newcastle City Council鈥�� 鈥� | 431,967鈥� 鈥� | 1 |
| North Wales PCC鈥�� 鈥� | 485,535鈥�� 鈥� | 2 |
| North Yorkshire OFPCC鈥�� 鈥� | 429,986鈥� 鈥� | 1 |
| Northamptonshire PCC鈥��� 鈥� | 432,000鈥� 鈥� | 1 |
| Nottinghamshire PCC鈥� 鈥��� 鈥� | 864,000鈥� 鈥� 鈥� | 2 |
| South Wales PCC鈥� 鈥��� 鈥� | 432,000鈥� 鈥� 鈥� | 1 |
| South Yorkshire PCC鈥�� 鈥��� 鈥� | 850,000鈥� 鈥� 鈥� | 2 |
| Staffordshire OPFCC鈥�� 鈥��� 鈥� | 432,000鈥� 鈥� 鈥� | 1 |
| Surrey PCC鈥�� 鈥��� 鈥� | 310,227鈥� 鈥� 鈥� | 1 |
| Thames Valley PCC鈥�� 鈥��� 鈥� | 401,950鈥� 鈥� 鈥� | 1 |
| Wealden District Council 鈥��� 鈥� | 309,453鈥�� 鈥� 鈥� | 1 |
| West Mercia PCC鈥��� 鈥� | 863,185鈥�� 鈥� 鈥� | 2 |
| West Yorkshire PCC鈥��� 鈥� | 306,317鈥� 鈥� 鈥� | 1 |
| Wiltshire PCC鈥�� 鈥� | 432,000鈥� 鈥� 鈥� | 1 |
| Wolverhampton City Council鈥� 鈥� | 247,602鈥�� 鈥� 鈥� | 1 |
| Total 鈥� | 拢18.4m 鈥�� 鈥� 鈥� | 听 |