11 November 2024

One million from criminals to keep West Yorkshire safe

A million pounds of cash recovered from criminals is to be re-invested into community safety projects.

From today (Monday 11th November) organisations across West Yorkshire are being urged to apply for the latest round of the Mayor’s Safer Communities Fund.

It has already seen more than £3milllion awarded to a range of projects since 2021.

This grant round will help to deliver the Mayor’s new Police and Crime Plan 2024-28 covering priorities, which include:-

Keeping people safe
Safer places and thriving communities
Supporting victims and witnesses

Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin said:

“This money will make a real difference, helping us to keep our communities safe.

“I’m so proud that we've been able to use this cash seized from criminals to fund so many amazing groups and organisations over the years.

“I cannot wait to see which innovative projects come forward this time around, and the impact they will have on the ground.”

The money is made available largely thanks to the efforts of West Yorkshire Police’s Economic Crime Unit, which is responsible for tracking down criminal ill-gotten gains through offences such as fraud and drug dealing.

Chief Constable John Robins QPM DL added:

“Our officers and financial investigators work tirelessly to ensure that criminals do not profit financially from their illegal activities.

“This latest grant round is one of the largest pots of funding there has been as part of the Mayor’s Safer Communities Fund and represents a real opportunity to make a significant positive impact in our communities in West Yorkshire.

“The premise of the Clear Hold Build initiative is about police, partners and the public all working together to make long-lasting positive change in neighbourhoods which have been blighted by organised crime. We achieve more by working in collaboration and I would urge organisations to think about opportunities to deliver collaborative projects which ‘build’ our communities for the future.”

With this latest round of funding, organisations can apply for a grant from one of the three funding pots:

Pot 1: Minimum of £15,000 – maximum of £20,000 for larger projects
Pot 2: £10,000 or less – for smaller initiatives
Pot 3: Collaboration Pot – between two and four groups can apply together for a minimum of £20,000 total and a maximum of £20,000 per organisation involved (£80,000 maximum total).

All three grant pots are flexible.

The fund will also be open to projects which will deliver the ‘build’ element of Clear, Hold, Build (CHB) in four Home Office pilot areas across West Yorkshire. CHB is a framework designed to improve the local response to tackling serious and organised crime threats, and groups delivering in BD3 in Bradford, Park Ward in Calderdale, Harehills in Leeds, and Ashbrow in Kirklees are encouraged to apply.

Since 2021, the Mayor’s Safer Communities Fund has supported 357 projects.

Organisations must apply for a grant by midday on 13th December. Full terms and conditions, including more information on the priorities and how to apply, are available on the West Yorkshire Combined Authority website.