Safer Streets Fund

Thursday 6th July 2023 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Suella Braverman)]

The Government remain committed to preventing and reducing crime and ensuring the public is better protected across all parts of the country; every crime matters, every victim matters and every neighbourhood matters. To that end, the Safer Streets Fund is central to the Government mission of levelling up. Everyone in this country should have the security and confidence that comes from a safe street and a safe home.

This is why the Government are today announcing an additional £60 million investment in improving public safety through the launch of the fifth round of the safer streets fund, running over the second half of 2023-24 and the whole 2024-25 financial year.

Since the launch of the fund in 2020, this Government have invested £120 million through four rounds of funding, and an additional £5 million through the safety of women at night fund, supporting over 292 projects across high-crime areas.

Earlier this year we published the formal evaluation of the first round of the fund, which reflects that the initiative is improving understanding of crime prevention measures and making communities feel safer.

We will build on the successes of the previous rounds through round five, which will continue to tackle antisocial behaviour (ASB), neighbourhood crime and help to combat violence against women and girls in public places. All 43 police and crime commissioners, and equivalents, across England and Wales will be eligible to receive £1.4 million funding for tackling crime and ASB in their local area.

Among the range of interventions we will be funding are: CCTV and streetlighting, which deter offenders by making it more difficult to commit crime, public guardianship initiatives, reducing opportunities for potential crime and policing interventions.

This additional funding will continue to play a key role in ensuring our streets and communities are safe.

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