Money seized from drug dealers, human traffickers and thieves will be used to fund activities for children in the North East.
That is the latest plan from police and crime commissioner Kim McGuinness as she funnels £177,000 of seized cash back into the community.
Northumbria Police recently confiscated huge quantities of money from criminals including drug dealers and money launderers, while officers in Sunderland seized more than £50,000 from a man who was arrested for drug possession with intent to supply as well as kidnap. He is now serving time in a prison in Belgium.
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And now the PCC is pumping crime cash back into the North East for children to “keep themselves out of trouble”.
“There have been some fantastic results by Northumbria Police lately – lots of arrests and lots of money has been taken back and out of the wrong hands,” she said.
“There’s no better use for cash seized from crime than channelling it right back into our communities, to help prevent more crime. If we are going to curb the number of incidents, I want to throw everything at helping young people access the alternative – let’s prevent crime in the first place.
“To do this I want to see real action and activities that kids want and benefit from and that in turn, will keep them out of trouble.”
Communities are asked to contact the PCC with their ideas for how the money can be spent - with activities such as boxing, football, and dance clubs given as suggestions.
“The cost of living crisis is hitting far too many people, particularly in our region, and not everyone can afford to keep kids busy,” the PCC added.
“So, this is me asking young people and asking communities - what do they want to have on offer on their doorstep, to help keep them entertained?”
The funds are part of Operation Payback, a scheme by Northumbria Police which aims to prevent crime and antisocial behaviour through funded projects, which the force says will “in turn improve lives for local people”.
To apply for funding for a project in your community, visit the police and crime commissioner’s website. Applications are open until January 15, 2023.
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