As MP for Eddisbury - and also as Her Majesty’s Solicitor General - I am delighted the Government has awarded an additional £1.5 million to Cheshire in the fourth round of the Safer Streets Fund.
This financial support will help make our streets safer by enabling projects to crack down on neighbourhood crime and prevent violence against women and girls - an issue close to my heart since I first entered Parliament.
This additional cash, which forms part of the £50 million national total in this latest round of funding, will go towards measures proven to cut crime - including more CCTV and street lighting, and alongside engagement work to change attitudes and behaviours to help prevent crime before it occurs.
This increase builds on - as part of the Beating Crime Plan - the recruitment of almost 14,000 more police officers across England and Wales, increasing police funding to nearly £17 billion.
About 49,000 violent offences across England and Wales have also been prevented through Violence Reduction Units since 2019 - protecting the public and breaking the cycle of crime.
In terms of visible local policing, 259 police officers have been recruited in Cheshire alone since September 2019, bringing the total number of officers in the County up to 2,339.
Also, within that policing package, £1 billion has been ring-fenced for counter-terror policing, as well as £1.4 billion for tackling national priorities such as county lines drugs, child sexual abuse, and modern slavery - together with some £796 million for Police & Crime Commissioners.
Nobody should feel afraid while walking the streets of Cheshire, yet for so many people - particularly women and girls - feeling uncomfortable or unsafe in public spaces has become an all-too-common occurrence.
It's been a year since the Home Secretary launched a dedicated violence against women and girls strategy. In that year, the Government has overseen incredible work to support victims, prevent violence against women and girls, protect citizens and deliver justice.
These essential efforts - undertaken by the Home Office and police forces in concert with specialist groups - deliver practical support and change for women and girls across our communities.
The Safer Streets Fund will play its part in making that essential, positive difference to the safety of women and girls at a community level.
Long may this trend continue, both here in Cheshire and across the UK.
To get in touch with Edward Timpson MP about this or other national or local issues, please visit edwardtimpson.com/contact, where you can also sign up for Edward’s Eddisbury Report e-newsletter.
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