Government gives local police almost £1m to keep streets safe in Milton Keynes and Thames Valley

The money is specifically to help keep streets safe and tackle crimes such as robberies and burglaries.

The government made the announcement today (Tuesday) that Thames Valley was one of 35 police and crime commissioner areas who will receive funding from the £25 million Safer Streets Fund.

Anthony Stansfeld, PCC for Thames Valley, said: “I am delighted my office has secured more than £970,000 funding across two bids for the Safer Streets Fund. This funding will be used to tackle crime such as robbery, theft and burglary in hotspots in our area."

He added: “We will ensure this funding goes straight to the frontline to support and help our communities. As part of our bids, we will be looking at many areas of improvement such as supporting landlords to make their properties more secure, installing better street lighting, CCTV and dedicated cycle storage in areas of concern.

“We will also be working with local communities to engage them with crime prevention through advice and education.

“I look forward to seeing positive outcomes for our communities as my office works with Thames Valley Police and other partners to utilise this funding.”

Home Secretary, Priti Patel said: “I will not stand by while criminals inflict fear and misery on our communities. That is why I set up this fund to ensure we are doing all we can to prevent people falling victim to these crimes.”

Crime Prevention Leads from the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, Roger Hirst and Keith Hunter said: “Today’s Safer Streets Fund announcement represents positive news for communities across England and Wales.

“This funding will support PCCs and their community safety partners to effectively deliver crime reduction activities that will prevent and reduce crimes such as burglary and robbery in the areas that need it most.”

The Home Secretary announced the Safer Streets Fund in October 2019, and PCCs were invited to bid for funding in January this year.

Bids were evaluated against a set criteria and bidders were asked to outline a plan to reduce crime within a local crime hotspot, demonstrating value for money, evidence of community engagement and long-term sustainability.