Levels of crime in three Cleveland neighbourhoods blighted by theft and burglary have dropped significantly following an investment in crime prevention measures.
Newport in Middlesbrough, Burn Valley in Hartlepool and South Bank in East Cleveland each received a share of the £1,034,696 secured by the Cleveland PCC’s office last year.
Over the last 10 months, the PCC’s office has worked with partners in local authorities, Cleveland Police, Cleveland Fire Brigade and charitable organisations to deliver:
• 78 additional CCTV cameras
• 249 updated lighting columns
• 330 improved alley gate locks
• 1500 at home crime prevention packs
• 59 secured ‘void’ nuisance properties
• 200 supported victims of crime
The PCC’s office also made an investment in a mediator service to prevent community conflicts and antisocial behaviour escalating into more serious crime.
The efforts were part of the Home Office’s Safer Streets Fund, which aimed to improve security in areas affected by acquisitive crime such as burglary, vehicle theft and robbery.
Acquisitive crime in Newport from April 2020 to April 2021 dropped by 22 per cent compared to the previous twelve months, with Burn Valley and South Bank seeing reductions in burglary of 40 per cent and 49 per cent respectively.
Steve Turner, Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland, said: “I’m delighted that our £1m investment has made a difference and delivered real, tangible results for people living in high-crime areas.
“My team worked hard to secure this national investment and just yesterday we secured an additional £366,289 in the second round of Safer Streets funding to focus on other hotspot locations.
“This is what people living in Cleveland want to see – agencies working together to install measures which will cut crime and make them feel safer.”
Jill Mortimer, MP for Hartlepool, said: “This investment has shown a dramatic drop in crime and I am committed to working with Steve Turner and his team to making sure we continue to tackle crime and anti social behaviour, to make our streets safer for local communities.”
Councillor Shane Moore, Leader of Hartlepool Borough Council and Chair of the Safer Hartlepool Partnership, said: “The innovative measures introduced in the Burn Valley Ward, including the specially-designed security screens that have been fitted to a number of empty homes in the Oxford Road area, have had a tremendous impact on crime, and we are very grateful indeed for the money secured by the Cleveland PCC’s office from the Home Office Safer Streets Fund.”