Funding boost for fight against crime and anti-social behaviour

A total of £999,999.84 has been awarded to the Office of Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner Steve Turner as part of the Home Office’s £43 million Safer Streets Fund.

Up to £333,333 will be spent in the Victoria ward in Hartlepool to combat acquisitive and environmental crime.

Projects to be funded include improvements to alley gates, burglary reduction initiatives and the appointment of a Community Cohesion Officer whose primary focus will be to engage with local residents.

It is also proposed to appoint an Environmental Project Officer to gather intelligence and investigate environmental crime and anti-social behaviour.

Councillor Mike Young, Leader of Hartlepool Borough Council and Chair of the Safer Hartlepool Partnership, said: “To receive such a large sum of money to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour in the town centre area of Hartlepool is great news.

“We have plans for a series of projects that will improve the lives of residents living in this area and we look forward to implementing them in the months ahead.”

Communities in Middlesbrough and Stockton will also benefit from similar levels of funding.

Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner Steve Turner said: “I am delighted that we have once again been successful in securing additional national funding to make Cleveland’s streets safer.

“These projects will deliver significant results in the communities that need them the most.

“The Safer Streets project demonstrates the power of agencies working together to reduce crime in hot-spot areas.”

This is the fifth time that additional Safer Streets funding has been successfully secured by the Cleveland PCC’s office and partners, and it brings the total to £3.44 million since 2020.