South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Alun Michael has announced he has secured £956,212 from Round Five of the Home Office Safer Streets Fund which is being invested to improve community safety in South Wales.

Mr Michael says cities, towns and villages across South Wales will benefit from improved street lighting, CCTV upgrades, and a range of different initiatives aimed at tackling and preventing crime and anti-social behaviour (asb).

The cash will be invested in a number of ways to benefit communities across South Wales, including:

• Improvements to street lighting and CCTV upgrades across South Wales
• The purchase of an all-weather drone to help police tackle asb
• Home Safe packs for residents who are vulnerable to crime such as burglary and theft
• Design-out-crime interventions, such as the installation of gates preventing public access to areas where asb has been a persistent issue
• The introduction of local authority street marshals to help tackle asb and improve feelings of personal safety
• Women's safety patrols targeting the night-time economy

This is the fifth successive bid made by the Commissioner, and it builds on nearly £3m acquired from the Home Office Safer Streets fund since it was first unveiled in 2020.

Mr Michael said: "I am extremely pleased that we have been successful in our latest bid to the Home Office's Safer Streets Fund. This latest allocation of nearly £1 million is an endorsement of our approach to partnership working here in South Wales. We have worked closely with the councils and other partners to identify in detail the drivers of local problems and how best we can tackle them together.

"This money will be invested in making communities across South Wales safer for women and girls, as well as reducing the impact of anti-social behaviour.

 "Working in partnership our focus is both on immediate benefits from practical measures like CCTV and physical improvements to the environment and to achieve sustainable long-term improvements to create safe, confident and resilient communities."