New police funding to tackle Melton thefts and burglaries

The town has been identified, along with Hinckley, Lutterworth and Castle Donnington, as high risk hotspots for the offences.

The Home Office’s Safer Streets Fund has allocated £432,000 to install new technology in the towns to detect and deter crime, including new police automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras and additional CCTV.

There will also be enhanced street lighting to combat night time crimes and Melton police will benefit from additional radios to expand the local radio link crime prevention scheme.

After securing the funding, newly-elected Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Rupert Matthews, said: “This is good news for residents and communities living in our county towns and will help to boost confidence and feelings of safety.

“These new security measures, alongside greater engagement with local police officers and environmental improvements, will not only remove opportunities for crime but will ensure local people feel good about the area in which they live and less anxious and fearful about being targeted.

“I made it very clear in my manifesto how I wanted to build stronger communities and prevent the kind of crimes and disorder that endanger or disrupt the peace and safety of local people.

“Safer Streets will help us to do just that by funding a raft of measures enabling us to tackle problems head-on where they have the most impact and persistently drain police services.

“I want more offenders caught and more crime prevented and we have a real opportunity here to make a difference.”

The funding will also enable up to 1,900 households in the county to be offered free security upgrades worth a total of £186,000 to help make their homes impenetrable to criminals.

The PCC added: : “While our overall ambition is to reduce crime, Safer Streets is also about improving the mental wellbeing of those who live and work in the area, reducing vulnerability and increasing feelings of safety and security.

“I’m determined to deliver efficient and robust policing across the entire force area.

“The health and wellbeing of the public are vitally important to me and I’m looking forward to seeing the results of this programme.”

The Government’s Safer Streets Fund aims to stop offences that blight communities and cause misery to victims.

Nationally, the government has announced a £18.3million funding package in the second phase of the funding.

A total of 40 areas across England and Wales have been chosen to receive grants to tackle neighbourhood crime and clamp down on burglary, robbery and vehicle theft.

Leicestershire Police Assistant Chief Constable Julia Debenham commented: “We are really pleased to see that funding has been made available for these local schemes where we will continue to work with our partners to keep people safe.”