South Yorkshire Police awarded £850,000 to help make streets safer

The Home office Safer Streets Fund will help crack crack down on neighbourhood crimes like burglary, vehicle theft and robbery by increasing street lighting and CCTV.

The South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner is receiving £850,000 for projects like ‘target hardening’ for vulnerable residents including installation/replacement of alley gates and improved and deployable CCTV.

Police in the Yorkshire and Humberside region have today been awarded a total of £2,017,867 to support key projects in locations affected by neighbourhood crimes like burglary, vehicle theft and robbery, following a competitive bidding process.   

A further £25 million will go towards projects nationally in England and Wales with a primary focus on improving safety for women and girls

Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “I will not stand by while criminals inflict fear and misery on our communities, which is why I launched the Safer Streets Fund to improve security in areas blighted by crimes like burglary, robbery and theft.   

“But it’s more than just environmental change – we need to prevent people from committing these offences in the first place as we build back safer.  

“That is why the next round will rightly look at behaviour change, with a primary focus on women and girls who are disproportionately affected by crimes like harassment in public places.”

The next round of funding will go beyond essential environmental measures like improved street lighting and encourage police and local authorities to secure innovative bids for plans primarily focused on helping make women and girls feel safer on the streets, as well as projects which could include an emphasis on changing attitudes and behaviours in local communities.  

National Police Chiefs’ Council Chair, Martin Hewitt said: “We know that better street lighting or CCTV can do a lot to prevent crime, which is why we welcome the latest round of the Safer Streets Funding to ensure projects can continue to have a positive impact on the communities that are hardest hit.

“We also know that changing attitudes is key in the long run, which is why police and local authorities are being encouraged to focus new bids on behaviour change and community engagement.”

Sheffield MP backs street light funding but insists more must be done for women to feel safe