Victims of car crime in areas in Nottinghamshire have been awarded with up to £10,000 worth of vehicle security products.
People living in the Mill Gate, Bowbridge Road and Barnby Gate areas of Newark, and in the town centre area of Mansfield have received free tracking devices, van vaults, vehicle immobilisers, and deadlocks for vans.
Eligible residents who have previously had tools, equipment or vehicles stolen are now being offered vehicle security devices to help protect their livelihoods and property and reduce their risk of crime.
Alan, 62, Mansfield resident, who has had his van broken into three times and thousands of pounds worth of tools stolen has now received free CCTV, a new ring doorbell, an alarm for his storage, and a new van vault to safely secure his tools overnight.
He said: “We’ve been very pleased with the scheme and we feel a lot safer.
“The first question the police ask after a theft or burglary is do you have CCTV?
“The new camera therefore should be a deterrent but if it does happen again, I feel like we are much more likely of catching the people who’ve done it.”
The funding comes from the Home Office’s Safer streets scheme, from which Caroline Henry, Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner, has secured £432,000 to step up efforts to tackle street crime and burglary in the Portland and Woodlands wards of Mansfield in 2021-22.
These areas have been identified as having a disproportionately higher risk of crime and therefore have qualified for the Home Office initiative.
Commissioner Henry said: “I have spoken to people who have had their cars and tools stolen so I know what an impact vehicle theft can have.
“Through the ongoing Safer Streets partnership, we will invest in practical resources to keep our communities safe and ensure those who have had the misfortune of falling victim before have the support they deserve to feel safe again.”
The Safer Streets scheme is also funding new fixed and re-deployable 4G CCTV cameras, improved street lighting, additional Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology to help police detect crime and extra monitoring hours to keep residents safe.
