Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Police and Crime Commissioner Rupert Matthews has secured extra funding worth £432k to make the county’s streets safer and increase the protection of people and property.
Following a successful bid to the Home Office’s Safer Streets Fund, the PCC will spearhead a major safety project to prevent theft, burglary and robbery in Castle Donnington, Hinckley, Lutterworth and Melton Mowbray - areas identified as high risk crime hotspots by police.
Communities will benefit from the installation of new technology to detect and deter crime including new police automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras and additional CCTV as well as enhanced street lighting in two key streets, and additional radios to expand the radio link scheme in the Melton and Hinckley areas.
In addition, up to 1,900 households will be offered free security upgrades worth a total of £186k to help make their homes impenetrable to criminals while funding will also be dedicated to removing graffiti in Hinckley and increasing engagement with residents.
Welcoming the news, the PCC said: “This is good news for residents and communities living in our county towns and will help to boost confidence and feelings of safety.
“These new security measures, alongside greater engagement with local police officers and environmental improvements, will not only remove opportunities for crime but will ensure local people feel good about the area in which they live and less anxious and fearful about being targeted.
“I made it very clear in my manifesto how I wanted to build stronger communities and prevent the kind of crimes and disorder that endanger or disrupt the peace and safety of local people.
“Safer Streets will help us to do just that by funding a raft of measures enabling us to tackle problems head-on where they have the most impact and persistently drain police services. I want more offenders caught and more crime prevented and we have a real opportunity here to make a difference.
“While our overall ambition is to reduce crime, Safer Streets is also about improving the mental wellbeing of those who live and work in the area, reducing vulnerability and increasing feelings of safety and security.
“Our Partners are central to the delivery of this project and we will work together to increase community resilience and problem-solving, improve the physical environment for residents, and make these so- called ‘hotspots’ a no-go area for criminals.
“I’m determined to deliver efficient and robust policing across the entire force area. The health and wellbeing of the public are vitally important to me and I’m looking forward to seeing the results of this programme.”
The Government’s Safer Streets Fund aims to stop offences that blight communities and cause misery to victims.
Nationally, the Government has announced a £18.3m funding package in the second phase of its Safer Streets Fund.
A total of 40 areas across England and Wales have been chosen to receive grants to tackle neighbourhood crime and clamp down on burglary, robbery and vehicle theft.
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Assistant Chief Constable Julia Debenham said: “We are really pleased to see that funding has been made available for these local schemes where we will continue to work with our partners to keep people safe.”
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Cllr Simon Whelband, Harborough District Council’s Cabinet lead on community safety, said: “I am delighted that Lutterworth will benefit from funding from the Home Office which will make a real difference to the safety and wellbeing of our residents. The funding will include provision for enhanced CCTV coverage as well as other measures to tackle car crime and theft. Everyone should have right to feel safe in their communities, so this is welcome news."
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Councillor Andrew Woodman, Portfolio Holder for Community Services at NWLDC, said: “This funding is excellent news and will have a positive impact on community safety in Castle Donington. The funding will allow for new CCTV cameras in the village which will help to reduce rural, business and car crime, supplementing cameras we already have in other towns in North West Leicestershire including Ashby and Coalville.
“Working together with the Police and Crime Commissioner office and other partners has been key to securing this funding and we all have the same joint target of reducing crime across our county.
“The news is also timely as a Public Space Protection Order also comes into force this week in Castle Donington, giving our council officers the power to issue £100 fines to those that take part in anti-social car cruises which have unfortunately become a common occurrence in the area.”
Press Enquiries: Sallie Blair - 01283 821012 / 07702 541401
Posted on Monday 14th June 2021