Cash seized from criminals is making Bradford residents safer

26th September 2019

Money seized from criminals is helping to make residents in the Bradford West area safer.

The Neighbourhood Policing Team is using a grant of almost £5,000 from the West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner's (PCC) Safer Communities Fund on a crime prevention initiative to help vulnerable people feel safer.

The PCC Mark Burns-Williamson recently joined the team and police cadets on a visit to the Lower Grange area, where more than 20 households received crime prevention equipment including alarms, door chains and light timers.

Some also signed up to the local Neighbourhood Watch and Community Alert schemes. The Community Alert system allows members to receive automated messages regarding local crimes, appeals and crime prevention advice in the form of a text, email or voice clip.

More than 110 addresses in the Bradford West area have been visited so far and more are planned over the coming months.

Inspector Toby Facey, who leads the team, said:

"We are rolling this initiative out across the Bradford West area to help protect our vulnerable residents as we move into the time of the year where it is dark for longer periods.

"I would like to thank the Safer Communities Fund for awarding us this money and hope it will contribute towards reductions in crime."

Mark Burns-Williamson, West Yorkshire's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), said:

"It was fantastic to see first-hand the money recovered through proceeds of crime being reinvested into our communities to help keep people safe in this way through practical crime prevention measures.

"I have always been a vocal advocate of Neighbourhood Policing ensuring we invest in it whenever we can, and the difference this operation is making on the ground is testament to that and well received by the people that we spoke to. Inspector Facey, Bradford West NPT and the Police Cadets have my thanks and appreciation for their hard work in delivering this extra initiative.

"The next round of the Safer Communities Fund opens for applications on Monday, 7 October. More information will be released in due course on my website."

To find out more about, or sign up for West Yorkshire Police's Community Alerts system, please visit: https://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/west-yorkshire-community-alert