Safer Streets Funding Is Put To Good Use

Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC) across England & Wales have welcomed the news that the government will make a further £20million available to them through the Safer Streets Fund to tackle crime and prevent acquisitive crime,

The ‘Safer Streets Fund’ was set up by the Home Office in October 2019 and forms part of the government’s commitment to tackling crime.

The aim is to reduce the number of thefts, robberies and burglaries in hotspot areas across the UK.

And while PCCs and their teams set about submitting bids into the fund for 2021, the money released last year under phase one of the scheme is already making a difference across England and Wales.

The PCC for Cheshire detailed how last year’s funding had been spent on measures including CCTV cameras and batches of SelectaDNA forensic marking spray.

This leaves a mark on offenders’ skin or clothing which becomes visible to investigating officers with specialist lighting equipment.
In Llanelli, money secured by PCC Dafydd Llywelyn is funding new 
Community Wardens as well as various home and bike theft protection products including SelectaDNA property marking kits (pictured in orange rucksacks) and BikeRegister bike marking kits.

In Middlesbrough, improvements are being made to CCTV, street lighting, and alley gates. And hundreds of residents are receiving safe at home packs to explain how they can protect their homes with SelectaDNA.

In Northampton, door chains and letterbox guards are being supplied and fitted free of charge.

In parts of Barrow, new street lighting has been installed in a back alley, and the local council has carried out additional street cleaning.

SelectaDNA property marking kits are being offered to some households in Norwich to help them safeguard against burglary and other acquisitive crime.

And on Merseyside, the PCC has worked with Merseyside Police to set up a ‘Safer Streets Facebook Watch Party’ to update residents in North Birkenhead on how money there is being used.

APCC Crime Prevention Lead Roger Hirst, the PFCC for Essex, said: 
“Preventing acquisitive crimes like burglary and vehicle crime is not just about officers on the streets. It is about us all working together. Through the Safer Streets Fund, PCCs and our 
partners are encouraging communities to take pride in where they live and empowering them to make simple changes to cut crime and anti-social behaviour.”