Extra £150m to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour

As part of the government’s commitment to drive down crime and improve public safety, the Home Office has formally launched round four of the Safer Streets Fund.

As a result, £150 million is available over the next three financial years for police and crime commissioners and local authorities across England and Wales, as well as certain civil society organisations.

The Safer Streets Programme provides funding to areas most affected by crime and anti-social behaviour and will allow local authorities, civil society organisations and police and crime commissioners to bid for up to £500,000 per year for each project. The latest round targets neighbourhood crime, violence against women and girls and – for the first time – anti-social behaviour.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “Our local communities are the beating hearts of the UK and I want our streets to be safe for everyone to go about their daily lives without fear inflicted on them by criminals. The Safer Streets Fund improves the safety and security of areas blighted by crime and helps the police and local councils ensure that everyone is safe on our streets, going to the shops, seeing friends. It also prevents potential perpetrators committing such crimes in the first place so our communities are able to flourish.”

The government has already committed £70 million to the Safer Streets Fund to support local areas across England and Wales to introduce initiatives aimed at preventing crime from happening in the first place. We have also invested £5 million in the Safety at Women at Night Fund.