WIREDGOV

40 areas across England and Wales, including 28 PCCs, have today been awarded a total of £18.3 million, from the Government’s Safer Streets Fund.

This funding will support projects looking to crack down on neighbourhood crimes like burglary, vehicle theft and robbery, and 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.  

 The third round of the Safer Streets Fund also opens today, providing another opportunity to bid from a fund of £25 million for the year 2021/22.  

This next round of funding will go beyond essential environmental measures and police are encouraged to submit innovative bids for projects to improve the safety on women and girls on the streets.

Association of Police and Crime Commissioners Prevention lead Roger Hirst said:

“Today’s announcement of £25m Safer Streets funding reflects the Government’s confidence in elected Police and Crime Commissioners to effectively recognise local areas of need and deliver evidence-based crime prevention initiatives.

“The 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.

“I 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.

“This additional £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.”

Home Secretary Priti Patel said:

 “I will not stand by while criminals inflict fear and misery on our communities, which is why I launched the Safer Streets Fund to improve security in areas blighted by crimes like burglary, robbery and theft.   

“But it’s more than just environmental change – we need to prevent people from committing these offences in the first place as we build back safer.  

“That 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.” 

Minister for Safeguarding Victoria Atkins said:

“No 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. 

“We want this fund to help the police and local councils ensure that our streets are safe for everyone.”

A list of the PCCs who have received funding for the second round of Safer Streets is as follows: 

Millions more funding for projects to make our streets safer