Essex crime commissioner provides funds for safer streets

The Bunny Walks area of Chelmsford, was improved by CCTV cameras in key locations after the crime commissioner secured funding from government

Some £4m is to be spent on making more neighbourhoods in Essex safer, particularly for women and girls, the county's Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC) said.

Roger Hirst, PFCC, has allocated £3,953,923 of the force's £363.7m annual budget.

He has previously used government Safer Streets funding to support eight similar initiatives.

Council community safety partnerships are being encouraged to bid for money.

Areas such as Bunny Walks in Chelmsford and Greenstead in Colchester benefitted from Safer Streets funding in 2021 and 2022.

The £4m aims to help the police, along with councils and other partners, target additional areas suffering from anti-social behaviour, crime, and where women and girls have said they feel unsafe.

Each project would include a range of activities to improve the environment, promote community involvement, and create safer spaces.

Investment could include redesigning walkways, lighting, CCTV, as well as more community engagement in schools, with young people and businesses.

'No-go areas'

Mr Hirst said: "We have invested significantly to improve areas where we have been told that people feel unsafe, and this has made a huge difference.

"In one project area in Colchester, violence against the person offences is down 6.6%, more people are feeling confident visiting the town and confidence levels are up.

"In Chelmsford, we know more students are feeling able to use areas of the city they previously felt were no-go areas.

"This is good for them, good for their communities and demonstrates the positive impact of this investment."

Safety projects chosen would be match-funded

Citizens Essex co-chairperson Rebecca Warren worked with the PFCC to highlight "safety and lighting" concerns in Chelmsford and Colchester.

She said: "Consequently, Essex PFCC allocated over £1m of Safer Streets funding to help people feel safer in these communities.

"The next £4m, with another £4m match-funding, has real potential to continue to make Essex safer."

According to the PFCC, crime had fallen overall in Essex and by 2.5% in the last 12 months.