Support for successful Safer Streets Fund bids

As a result of being contracted by the Home Office in January 2020 to provide support for Designing Out Crime Officers involved in providing information for the Environmental Visual Audit aspect of Safer Streets Fund bids, the Academy has developed a workshop that is designed to increase the capacity of community representatives, Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinators, partner agencies and local police by identifying and implementing practical situational solutions to assist communities in preventing crime and anti-social behaviour.

The workshop is designed to be delivered locally which significantly reduces costs, and it can be delivered over one, two or three days with the potential to lead onto an accredited Level 3 crime prevention qualification if required. The Academy can offer flexible delivery at weekends and evenings as well as on week days to maximise opportunities for access by local community representatives.

Jon Cole, Chief Operating Officer, Police Crime Prevention Initiatives said “I am delighted that we can continue to support PCC’s and police forces in the delivery of their Safer Streets Fund bids.

“The Academy’s specialised workshop will help the recipients of this year’s fund to successfully meet the objective of growing local capability to undertake data driven problem solving. It will also provide them with practical learning about how best to implement situational interventions to prevent crime, as well as to effectively evidence this”.

The Cumbria Police and Crime Commissioner’s office, who were successful with their Safer Streets Fund bid and will receive funding of £436,994, will be working with the Academy in early autumn to provide local delivery of a capacity building workshop for community volunteers.

For more information, or to book a workshop with the Academy, please contact

Safer Streets Fund

Thirty-five police and crime commissioners (PCCs) are to receive funding from a £25 million scheme to crack down on burglary and theft in crime hotspots.

Following a bidding process, grants of up to £550,000 will be provided to PCCs in England and Wales for projects to improve security in areas particularly affected by acquisitive crimes such as burglary, vehicle theft and robbery.

The money will go towards measures proven to cut crime. These include improved home security, simple changes to the design of streets such as locked gates around alleyways, increased street-lighting and the installation of CCTV.

The funding will also be used to train community wardens, deliver local crime prevention advice to residents and establish Neighbourhood Watch schemes.

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 and Policing Minister, Kit Malthouse said: “Persistent street crime and burglary have a corrosive effect on a neighbourhood, leaving people apprehensive about leaving their homes, and afraid of what they might encounter when they return.

“But simple modifications like better street lighting or CCTV can do a lot to prevent crime. So alongside more focussed thief-taking by the police, these projects should have a big impact on the communities hardest hit by burglars, robbers and villains in general”.

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.

As they are rolled out, each initiative will be assessed to help inform future government investments.

The Safer Streets Fund forms part of the government’s concerted action to tackle crime.

Police Crime Prevention Initiatives

Police Crime Prevention Initiatives (PCPI) is a police owned organisation that works on behalf of the Police Service to deliver a wide range of crime prevention and demand reduction initiatives across the UK. PCPI is a not-for-profit organisation and Board Members include senior police officers from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland who control and direct the work PCPI carries out on behalf of the Police Service.

The Police Crime Prevention Academy is part of PCPI and maintains close working links with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, as well as senior police officers from across the UK. The Academy is the established supplier to the police service for crime prevention learning & development and the ProQual approved centre with the exclusive link to the Secured by Design initiative.

Secured by Design (SBD) is PCPI’s most well-known & established initiative, which plays a significant crime prevention role in the planning process to design out crime in a wide range of building sectors. Set up by the Police Service in 1989 SBD acts as a catalyst to bring organisations together to reduce crime and the fear of crime, and create safer communities.

SBD has worked with the Government to embed crime prevention into the planning process and establish police security standards in the building and construction industry. It has achieved some significant success including one million homes built to SBD standards with reductions in crime of up to 87%. Key to such achievements is the network of SBD trained Designing Out Crime Officers based in Police Forces and local authorities around the UK, who specialise in designing out crime.

SBD’s Police Preferred Specification provides a recognised standard for all security products that can deter and reduce crime & which recognises that products not only have been tested to relevant security standards but also fully certified by an independent third-party certification body accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS).

SBD developments deliver significant reductions in crime and anti-social behaviour and as such are an important constituent element in providing prosperous and vibrant communities for generations to come.

www.policecpi.com