PB Network

Participatory Budgeting: Making People Count

Wrexham and Flintshire groups benefit from proceeds of crime money

on in News, Policing, Wales

North Wales PCC 2015 image

Police and Crime Commissioner Winston Roddick CB QC and Assistant Chief Constable Richard Debicki announce Your Community, Your Choice. (photo from the PCC website)

Groups across North Wales are able to grab back cash from criminals through a Participatory Budgeting initiative run by the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner. As reported in the Leader Newspaper community groups in Wrexham and Flintshire to bid for a share of a £42,000 pot of money seized from criminals.

The scheme has been set up by Mr Roddick, North Wales Police and the North Wales Police and Community Trust (PACT). Two groups from each county stand to receive £3,000, while £6,000 is available for a group that operates across North Wales.

The Your Community, Your Choice project – otherwise known as the Participatory Budgeting Scheme – is being partly funded by the money recovered through the Proceeds of Crime Act, using cash confiscated from offenders – with the rest coming from Mr Roddick.

Mr Roddick said: “Last year we had bids from across North Wales from all sorts of interesting groups doing great things in their local communities and I’m hoping for an even greater response this year. I would urge organisations to get their bids in now to make sure they do not miss out on this opportunity to hit criminals where it hurts most – their pockets."

North Wales Police assistant chief constable Richard Debicki was equally enthusiastic. He said: “I think the value of a scheme like this is it allows members of the public and local organisations right in the heart of communities to bid into a fund and to be part of the solutions to crime and disorder in their area…. It’s absolutely right and proper the money taken out of the hands of criminals is put back into the community. We really value our relationships with the public and we recognise that we can’t reduce crime and disorder on our own. It’s a partnership and a joint effort with other agencies but absolutely crucial and critically is the public themselves.”

A shortlist of applicants will be chosen by a special panel and  members of the public will decide which groups to support with a vote via the two websites and a dedicated email address. Voting will then take place between October 26 and November 27.