A major safety project is underway offering up to 460 households in Lutterworth free security improvements to protect their homes against burglary.
Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Police and Crime Commissioner Rupert Matthews has secured funding worth £432k from the Home Office’s Safer Streets Fund to increase safety in the town centres of Castle Donnington, Hinckley, Lutterworth and Melton Mowbray - areas identified as having a disproportionately higher risk of street crime.
The PCC is working with a team of partners including Harborough District Council, Leicestershire Police, North West Leicestershire District Council, Melton Borough Council and Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council to deliver a package of improvements to protect people and their property.
The first phase of the project is underway in Lutterworth and will see up to 460 households benefitting from free security upgrades over the coming weeks to make their homes more impenetrable to criminals.
Safer Streets partner 24-7 Locks Ltd is already visiting residents in the eligible areas of the town to offer measures such as high security door locks, window locks, door alarms and window alert alarms.
Mr Matthews said: “This is great news for residents in Lutterworth and will help to boost confidence and feelings of safety.
“These new security measures, alongside investment in new technology to detect and apprehend offenders, 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 want 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.
“If you are eligible for free security improvements, I urge you to accept them with open arms. The more we can do to stop criminals in their tracks, the more people we will spare from becoming victims. We have a real opportunity here to make a difference.”
Cllr Simon Whelband, Harborough District Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities, Wellbeing and Housing, said: “This is a great opportunity for local residents to improve their security systems and better protect their homes.
“It’s so important that we feel safe in our communities and these free upgrades will help to achieve that. The Community Safety team at Harborough District Council has worked hard with the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner to secure these free upgrades for residents in Lutterworth, and I am delighted that we are the first location in the county to roll this scheme out.”
Overall, Safer Streets will offer up to 1,104 households free security upgrades worth a total of £186k across the four towns while funding will also be dedicated to removing graffiti in Hinckley and increasing engagement with residents.
Communities will benefit from the installation of 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.
All households within the eligibility catchment area will be informed by post. Residents are urged to call the number provided to arrange a booking slot.
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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Posted on Tuesday 17th August 2021