The text of the comments made by Kit Malthouse, the Crime and Policing Minister, on 28 July 2020.
Persistent street crime and burglary have a corrosive effect on a neighbourhood, leaving people apprehensive about leaving their homes, and afraid of what they might encounter when they return.
But simple modifications like better street lighting or CCTV can do a lot to prevent crime.
So alongside more focussed thief-taking by the police, these projects should have a big impact on the communities hardest hit by burglars, robbers and villains in general.