Rupert Matthews, Police and Crime Commissioner for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, has welcomed a funding injection of £1,473,113 to tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB) and serious violence across the force area.

The money has been granted for 2024/25 to deliver hot-spot responses in relation to ASB and Serious Violence. It will be used to provide sustainable solutions including extra patrols to boost enforcement and reduce the problems in areas identified as ASB 'hotspots'.

A project team is already working on the details and work is expected to get underway in April.

Rupert Matthews said today: "People tell me constantly that they are concerned about anti-social behaviour and I understand their feelings of both fear and frustration. That's why I made tackling ASB a priority in my Police and Crime Plan. A lot of progress has been made since then by both the force and our partners.  Recent figures show that in the last year ASB has reduced by over 11%.

"But this money will enable us to deliver even more. Since I was elected, I have lobbied the government for additional funding and, while this still falls short of the £5.4m savings that we need to find in the next year, it's clear that my pleas have been heard.  

"I believe that we should show zero tolerance to ASB. It's not a trivial matter. We must be relentless in our approach to deliver the service our residents deserve and rightfully expect.

"This funding will boost my ongoing drive to prevent crime and ensure that swift and robust action is taken to protect our communities from ASB."