£500,000 funding to help improve crime-hit Telford estate
A housing estate hit by crime over a number of years has been awarded £500,000 to make it safer.
The money will be spent in the Brookside area of Telford, and will be used for a number of measures such as improved street lighting and CCTV, a new neighbourhood watch scheme, and protections for "the most vulnerable properties".
The funding has come from the Ministry of Justice's 'Safer Streets Fund' after an application by West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion.
Within the last week there have been two arson attacks and a serious stabbing on the estate, which has also had problems with drug dealing. In August last year there were 366 crimes reported within a one-mile radius of Brookside in one month.
Mr Campion said people should not have to live in fear of crime and that the money would help make Brookside safer for residents.
He said: “I’m delighted that we have been awarded this funding, and that the residents of Brookside will soon benefit from it.
"I made a commitment as commissioner that I would build safer and more secure communities, and this funding will help in delivering that. People should feel safe, and not fear where they live or that they will become a victim of crime.
“Working with West Mercia Police, and other partners, we have already made great improvements in the approach to tackling burglary and serious organised crime which ultimately makes people safer.
"This money will allow additional investment to be placed in preventative measures, such as improved home security or increased street lighting. By doing this it will make a real difference to the residents, and will hopefully give them a sense of community. I look forward to working with partners to achieve this.”
Superintendent for the area, Jim Baker, said: “This is brilliant news for Brookside, there are some great people who live there with a real sense of community spirit and this funding will go a long way to make it a safer place for people to live.
“We’ve carried out a number initiatives and operations in the area including rolling out property marking technology and working with partners to take a holistic approach to tackling anti-social behaviour.
"This funding will further enhance this crime prevention work and help develop new initiatives to benefit the whole community.”
A group, made up of representatives from West Mercia Police and the council, will also be set up as part of the efforts to improve the area.
The commissioner said they are seeking community-minded people to join and help shape what work will be done in the area.
Anyone interested can make contact with the PCC’s office: opcc@westmercia.pnn.police.uk.
