Police Commissioner Must Address Cuts To Safer Streets Funding

By Charlotte Webster-

Merseyside’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Emily Spurrell,  (today)has penned an open letter to the Policing Minister, Chris Philp, expressing deep disappointment and frustration over the unexpected reduction in Safer Streets funding allocated to the region.

The funding cut, the second of its kind, poses a severe threat to projects aimed at addressing violence against women and girls (VAWG) and enhancing community safety.

The announcement comes after Merseyside’s funding was reduced by almost 40%, amounting to £180,000, during round five of the Government’s Safer Streets Fund.

This cut has raised concerns as projects were already in progress and set to benefit communities in Liverpool and Knowsley.

Spurrell labeled the reduction as “hugely damaging and utterly nonsensical,” emphasizing its potential impact on vital community support projects. The Commissioner pointed out that the cut directly contradicts the government’s statement on the growth of confidence in policing through Safer Streets initiatives.

In her letter to Minister Chris Philp, Spurrell stated, “My partners in the two affected local authority areas will now have to significantly scale plans back that have already been approved and mapped out; plans that were well thought out during bid development and required considerable investment in time and effort to ensure they could be delivered effectively and on time.”

This latest setback follows disappointments and challenges faced by Merseyside in securing Safer Streets funding.

The initial reduction occurred when the Home Office cut the available funding from £1.4 million to £1 million, along with reducing the number of projects from four to three. Despite these hurdles, the region worked diligently to accommodate the changes and submit bids totaling £912,666.

Spurrell highlighted the unnecessary difficulties caused by the earlier funding reduction, forcing projects to be scaled back and bids to be rewritten. She noted the disappointment caused by rejecting a highly considered bid due to the last-minute alterations.

Furthermore, the PCC questioned the Home Office’s “blanket approach to the funding,” which, in her view, penalizes Merseyside twice. She raised concerns about why the overall underspend of the Safer Streets fund doesn’t cover the region’s shortfall in funding.

While currently in discussions with partners to find cost-effective solutions, Spurrell urged Minister Philp to reconsider the decision.

She emphasized the potential impact on the outcomes of the Merseyside Safer Streets Fund programs if the current path continues, suggesting a reconsideration of the reduction for areas not awarded the full £1 million allocation.

The funding cut adds strain to Merseyside’s efforts to enhance public safety and tackle violence against women and girls, signaling a need for a more consistent and supportive approach to Safer Streets initiative.