Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Police and Crime Commissioner Rupert Matthews has invested almost £500k into crime prevention in less than a year to help communities fight back against crime.
Since the start of 2022, the Commissioner has allocated £493,444k in grants to parish councils, charities and community groups which share his goals to root out crime and increase safety.
The funding, which includes £100k of matched-funding from the county’s Violence Reduction Network (VRN) to help tackle violence, has targeted key priorities in the PCC’s Police and Crime Plan including the prevention of anti-social behaviour, violent crime and domestic abuse.
Mr Matthews is now visiting schemes to see the impact of his investment and monitor any outcomes against his priorities.
He said: “I have promised to protect the law-abiding citizen and put their needs at the heart of all my decisions. For this reason, I have invested almost half a million pounds this year into community provision which proactively solves local problems.
“People have a right to feel safe at home and in our public spaces and it is my responsibility to ensure this happens. Over the year, I have invested in projects that strike at the root of offending and provide positive opportunities and outlets for people to change or access help.
“Tackling crime is a joint effort and I really value the work happening in our communities to support my Police and Crime Plan. As Commissioner, it is important to me that any investment I make has a tangible impact and I will be monitoring closely this year’s projects to ensure this funding delivers the desired effect.”
Grants of up to £10k have been allocated to each successful project.
The Commissioner has split his Safety Fund into six separate funding rounds per year alternating between specialist and non-specialist to ensure wider coverage against his priorities.
Previous specialist rounds have focused on preventing Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), diversion from anti-social behaviour and crime and supporting children and young people.
The PCC’s last round offered domestic abuse and sexual violence services providing support to victims and witnesses affected by the delays in the Criminal Justice System the opportunity to apply for a share of £111k.
It followed industrial action by criminal barristers in England and Wales in September which disrupted court hearings and a backlog of cases made worse by the pandemic.
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Posted on Tuesday 3rd January 2023