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Commissioner reopens fund to help communities prevent crime

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Organisations which help to reduce crime and protect communities in Merseyside are being invited to apply for a share of the Police Commissioner’s Crime Prevention Fund.

This is the second year that Jane Kennedy has opened the fund which is used to help charities, community groups and social enterprises stop problems before they occur, by reducing the opportunities for crime and by deterring people away from becoming involved in anti-social and criminal behaviour.

A total of £150,000 is available from the fund and the Commissioner is inviting groups to submit bids of between £5,000 and £25,000 for innovative community safety projects or schemes that will be run during 2016/17.

Jane said: “Merseyside is fortunate in having a wealth of voluntary and community groups which are working hard to prevent and tackle anti-social behaviour and crime and make our region an even better place to live.

“Through the Crime Prevention Fund my aim is to give these organisations a valuable cash boost which will make a difference to communities in Merseyside, helping people to feel safer in their homes while also preventing crime and anti-social behaviour.”

Last year, the Commissioner awarded a total of £88,000 to seven grassroots organisations to run innovative projects aimed at cutting crime and preventing reoffending. She also used the funding to support hard-hitting play Terriers, which spreads the anti-gun and gang message to young people across Merseyside.

Jane said: “The police work extremely hard to prevent crime, but they cannot do this job alone.

“I’ve met hundreds of people across Merseyside who are really proud and passionate about the places they live and are committed to keeping them safe. I want to help those groups who have identified an issue which is troubling their community but lack the means to put that solution into place.

“I’m looking forward to reviewing all the proposals we receive to see how I can work alongside these organisations to make Merseyside an even safer place to live.”

Organisations applying for the fund will need to show how their project works to tackle the objectives set out in the Commissioner’s Police and Crime Plan. These are to prevent crime and anti-social behaviour, provide a visible and accessible neighbourhood policing style, tackle serious and organised crime and to support victims, protect vulnerable people and maintain public safety.

Applications will also need to show how the initiatives will deter individuals from committing crime, reduce the number of people entering the criminal justice system, or lower reoffending. They will also be assessed to see how well they will protect vulnerable communities.

Local groups who would benefit from the funding can find more details about how to apply on the Crime Commissioner’s website.

The fund will be administered by Liverpool CVS and Sefton CVS and assistance in developing an application will be made available, should people need it. The closing date for applications is 5pm on 4 March 2016.

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