A million pound makeover for some of Cleveland’s hardest hit communities gets underway over Christmas and the New Year, overseen by the Office of Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland.
The Safer Streets programme is aimed at turning the tables on criminals by protecting areas which have previously been most vulnerable to theft or burglaries.
Areas of Middlesbrough, Hartlepool and Redcar and Cleveland will all benefit from the package of measures which includes improvements to CCTV, street lighting and alley gates, better protection of empty properties and the delivery of hundreds of ‘safe at home’ packs enabling residents to better protect their homes.
Victim care, Neighbourhood Watch and dispute mediation services will also be boosted and local organisations will help residents fit home safety devices including locks, door chains, video cameras and security lighting. Crime Prevention Officers will also offer to complete home security surveys to advise and assist residents in areas most vulnerable to acquisitive crime to better protect their properties and belongings.
Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) across the country were invited to bid into the £25m Home Office Safer Streets initiative with the best plans to improve safety and reduce crime in their areas being selected.
Working with local authorities, Cleveland OPCC scored a noticeable success by securing funding for projects in three areas – the maximum allowed under the scheme.
- Burn Valley and Oxford Road ladder (Hartlepool) – £444,608
- Newport (Middlesbrough) – £479,838
- South Bank (Redcar and Cleveland) – £110,250
Now following consultation with residents about how the money can best be used in their areas, roll-out of the new measures has begun with assistance from Cleveland Police, Victim Care and Advice Service, Cleveland Fire Support Network (Cleveland Fire Brigade), Thirteen Housing, Beyond Housing and the three local councils.
Acting Commissioner Lisa Oldroyd said: “I want to praise the hard work of all the agencies involved in this project. To deliver it on time, despite the challenges the Covid pandemic has thrown up, illustrates how determined we all are to protect our local communities.”
Cleveland Police’s crime prevention officers and neighbourhood policing teams will be delivering the safe at home packs across the three areas between Christmas and New Year.
Community Safety Chief Inspector Scott Cowie said: “Residents told us that burglary was a key area of focus for them, so these packs will help people to protect themselves further and go alongside some of the other operational work we are doing to tackle these awful crimes. We know in Cleveland that we can make great things happen when we work in partnership, and this is another example of agencies joining together to keep people safe.”
To read more about the Safer Streets project, please visit:
Safer Streets – Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner (pcc.police.uk)
