South Yorkshire is set to benefit from a Home Office grant, aimed at reducing crime and anti-social behaviour (ASB), following the latest round of Safer Streets funding.

All four South Yorkshire districts will receive a share of £993,311, awarded to improve lighting, CCTV and community safety more widely across the county.

Targeted campaigns will also benefit from the funding, with a focus on violence against women and girls (VAWG) and a partnership campaign with Crimestoppers.

The improvements, which will be implemented over an 18-month period between October 2023 and March 2025, support the priorities of the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Police and Crime Plan.

Welcoming the funding, South Yorkshire PCC, Dr Alan Billings, said: “I welcome the Home Office funding announcement and thank my team for their hard work in securing the grant.

“The money awarded to South Yorkshire will build on improvements already seen in previous rounds of Safer Streets funding and aims to expand the safety and security in those areas that local residents have most concern.”

Part of the funding will be allocated to develop a campaign with Crimestoppers, aimed at reducing neighbourhood crime.

Gemma Gibbs, Regional Manager for Yorkshire & Humberside at the charity Crimestoppers, said: “We know that speaking up about crime is incredibly difficult for some people, especially if you’re passing on information about those who are potentially dangerous. We take information every day from concerned individuals who tell us anonymously what they know, because they want to help keep our communities safe.

“This funding will help our charity reach more people with the aim of cutting neighbourhood crime. Working together, we can make a genuine difference.”

Highlights from the planned projects include:

Doncaster

• CCTV installation in strategic locations across the borough
• Streetlighting improvements in Scawsby to reduce ASB
• Solar lighting for footpaths on Wadworth Green
• Youth Association Outreach Project

Rotherham

• Targeted crime prevention advice and improved home security measures
• Positive outreach activity for young people

Sheffield

• CCTV installation on London Road, Abbeydale Road and surrounding residential streets
• VAWG educational programme focusing on attitudinal/behavioural change targeting boys and young men

Barnsley

• CCTV on town centre to hospital routes
• CCTV, improved street lighting and outreach/partnership interventions in Goldthorpe and Measborough Dike

County-wide

• Crimestoppers Campaign aimed at reducing Neighbourhood Crime
• SYP activity to reduce VAWG in the night-time economy