Safer Streets Fund

Locks and lights are being fitted to hundreds of homes in County Durham and Darlington as part of an £800,000 scheme to reduce burglary and improve community safety.

The Office of the Durham Police, Crime and Victims’ Commissioner (PCVC) submitted two bids to the Home Office’s £25million Safer Streets Fund, which provides money to evidence-based initiatives across the country that aim to reduce burglaries and other acquisitive crimes.

Both bids were successful, with £298,918 awarded to Darlington (Northgate and North Road areas), and £485,360 to Horden.

The areas were specifically chosen based on specific criteria as they both have high rates of acquisitive crime, in particular, burglary.

The bid had to meet exacting crime prevention criteria and will be used to pay for victims of residential burglary to receive the following security measures to prevent them from becoming a repeat victim:

·       Window locks

·       Internal lights on a timer

·       Double locks / deadlocks on external doors

·       External lights on a sensor

Those houses in close proximity to the victim household will also receive the security measures.

Crime prevention teams will also provide tailored crime prevention advice, with the aim of making victims feel safer and to prevent the crime from happening again.

Work on the project is being carried out by Darlington Borough Council and Durham County Council, with support from the PCVC’s office, Durham Constabulary, County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service and the Victim Care and Advice Service (VCAS).

It is hoped the intervention will reduce residential burglary, improve community safety and make the areas better places to live and work. 

Want to find out more? Please email saferstreets@darlington.gov.uk SaferStreets@durham.police.uk

Safer Streets Scheme expanded - https://www.durham-pcc.gov.uk/news/safer-streets-scheme

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