CCTV upgrade thanks to cash from county criminals

Preston City Council’s Community Safety Partnership secured £57,000 from the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Fund, which is made up of money seized recovered through the Proceeds of Crime Act.

The group was one of 17 successful applicants to get a share of almost £500,000 at an event at Burnley Football Club yesterday.

Coun Robert Boswell, cabinet member for community and environment at Preston Council, said: “We are delighted with this investment from the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Fund.

“Upgrading Preston City Centre’s CCTV system will help to make Preston an even safer place to be.”

Phase one of the city’s CCTV upgrade project is already complete, with the monitoring station having been recently digitally upgraded.

Phase two of the scheme will see new technology installed to assist with the prevention and detection of anti-social behaviour. The cash will see an additional £57,000 directed to the upgrade project, which has already seen a investment of £81,000 from the Preston BID.

BID committee member Babs Murphy said: “The grant from the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Fund will be added to that already committed from the BID. This will provide the most comprehensive monitoring platform and equipment the city has ever seen.”

In total, more than 90 groups from across Lancashire applied for a share of the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Fund.

Ingol and Tanterton Community Trust (Intact) received £13,000 to improve security at their building, which has been targeted by thieves, and Preston’s Haythornthwaite Sports Foundation received £5,000 for sports programmes aimed at young people identified as vulnerable and at risk of isolation.

Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw said: “I am delighted to have had the chance to meet some of the people who will be putting this money to good use right across Lancashire.

“We thought long and hard about the best way to use this money, which was taken from criminals, and we decided to reinvest some of it into the community. We looked for organisations that are helping to keep Lancashire safe and supporting the priorities set out in my Police and Crime Plan.”