08/08/2022

New Funding Available To Help Prevent Crime

Justice Minister Naomi Long has announced the launch of a new application period for funding aimed at preventing crime.

The fund is available for voluntary and community sector organisations, registered charities, and statutory bodies delivering projects in community settings in Northern Ireland.

The Assets Recovery Community Scheme (ARCS) allows monies received from the payment of confiscation orders following a criminal conviction to be diverted into community projects across Northern Ireland to support communities and individuals and address some of the harmful impacts from a wide range of criminality.

The Assets Recovery Community Scheme is open for applications from today. The Scheme is designed to run for 18 months and applications are invited from projects that seek to run initiatives or programmes over, or at some time during, that period. Projects can bid for a maximum of £10k for up to 6 months in 2022/23 and/or £25k for up to 12 months in 2023/24 and should demonstrate how their proposals would meet the essential ARCS criteria of preventing crime or reducing the fear of crime and how they would directly benefit victims, communities or the environment.

Naomi Long said: "Asset recovery is an integral part of the response to organised crime; it disrupts the activity of organised crime groups and individuals connected to them. Partners on the Organised Crime Task Force continue to prioritise asset recovery and bring forward confiscation cases to deprive criminals of their ill-gotten gains. ARCS funding helps the community make a direct link between operational action and the resulting benefits for those who suffer the most from the effects of organised crime."

Related Northern Ireland News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

23 September 2024
New Rural Crime Awareness Campaign Launched
A new digital awareness campaign to support rural communities across Northern Ireland has been launched by the PSNI and the Rural Crime Partnership group to mark Rural Crime Week NI 2024 – Monday 23rd to Friday 27th September.
19 October 2023
PSNI Hosts Hate Crime Awareness Event In Moira
The PSNI have partnered with Lisburn and Castlereagh Policing Community Safety Partnership for a public meeting on Hate Crime Awareness public meeting in Moira.
18 April 2024
43 Groups Awarded £1.25m Assets Recovery Community Scheme Funding
The Justice Minister has announced the allocation of £1.25 million for community investment programmes through the Assets Recovery Community Scheme (ARCS) The ARCS funding has been allocated to 43 projects and will be delivered over three years.
19 September 2024
NI Lorry Driver Jailed In Connection With £3m Drug Seizure
A 38-year-old man has been jailed in connection with the largest single drug seizure by the PSNI. At Belfast Crown Court, Andrew Stafford pleaded guilty to possession of a Class A drug with intent to supply and possession of a Class B drug with intent to supply.
26 April 2024
Arrests Made And Cash Seized In Organised Crime Search Operation
Two people have been arrested and approximately £240,000 in cash seized in a search operation in the Belfast and Sprucefield areas over two days, conducted by the PSNI's Organised Crime Unit.