By Joshua Robinson –
Sixty-eight community projects across West Yorkshire are to benefit from over one million pounds in funding.
The money, given out at an awards event in Leeds on Wednesday 7th February, is from the Mayor’s Safer Communities Fund and will tackle issues such as serious violence, and hate crime, and support victims of crime and trauma.
The fund is financed through recovered cash and assets seized from criminals by police and prosecutors, under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
West Yorkshire Police’s Economic Crime Unit plays a crucial role in the work. It focuses on tracking down criminal ill-gotten gains through offences such as fraud and drug dealing – a process that can take months, and in some cases, years of work.
A new video has been released that shines a light on the vital work of the Unit – from recovering millions of pounds of cash and Bitcoin to seizing high-value assets such as luxury cars.
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “I promised to deliver a safer, fairer West Yorkshire, and that’s exactly where this one million pounds is going.”
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“Every area of the county has groups of absolutely fantastic people who put their time and effort into making where they live better or helping people in need, and I am very thankful we are able to support them with these grants.”
“This fund would just not be possible without the tireless work of the Economic Crime Unit, so a huge thank you to them for everything they do.”
West Yorkshire Police Chief Constable John Robins QPM DL said: “The officers and financial investigators in our Economic Crime Unit work hard to seize the cash and property of criminals. By doing so they ensure that crime does not pay in West Yorkshire.”
“Knowing that funds they have stripped from those that do harm to communities is put to good use through the Mayor’s Safer Communities Fund brings tremendous satisfaction.”
This round of the Mayor’s Safer Communities Fund gave out £1,091,079.70. This brings the overall total of money given out from the fund so far to £2,459,441.97.
The next round of the Mayor’s Safer Communities Fund is due to open on 13th May. To find out more, please visit www.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/MSCF.
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