Evaluation of the Safer Streets Fund Round 1, year ending March 2021

Product Description

This report presents the findings from an independent evaluation of the Safer Streets Fund Round 1 (SSF1). In October 2019, the Home Office announced a £25 million Safer Streets Fund (SSF) to tackle acquisitive crime in persistently and disproportionately affected residential areas. Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) across England and Wales could bid for funding up to £550,000 for situational interventions aimed at preventing acquisitive crime, using a problem-solving approach. There were 52 successful bid areas across 35 police forces, who implemented their interventions between July 2020 and June 2021, after the Home Office granted an extension to some areas due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic disruptions.

Kantar Public carried the evaluation out between May 2020 and November 2021. It comprised several strands, including a detailed process evaluation that explored how local projects implemented and delivered their SSF1 interventions. The impact evaluation aimed to measure the differences made by the SSF1 programme by analysing police recorded crime data and primary survey data on public perceptions of crime and safety. The report presents the preliminary impact findings.