A NEW scheme to bring the voluntary sector in line with police priorities will be introduced by Dorset’s Police and Crime Commissioner.

Martyn Underhill said rather than charities and community groups approaching him for grants from his £2.3 million commissioning budget to fund their own projects, he will be setting out specific goals for recipients to work towards.

He said the plan was intended to help plug gaps in public service provision caused by cuts in central government funding.

“It is a new approach for Dorset and I think a very exciting approach,” said.

“It will change the way we do business and ensure we are using evidence-based policing methods to deliver services.”

Addressing representatives from charity, community and social enterprise organisations at a recent forum, all of which had received PCC grants for projects in the past, Mr Underhill said the new projects must be “sustainable”.

“The PCC kicks it off, when it is proved that it works, after two years for example, we evaluate it then put in for funding from police or the NHS,” he said.

“I have had people coming to me saying, we are a really good charity; we need you to give us £5,000 or we are going to go under.

“I am not going to do that any more.”

He said the new projects would have to meet the objectives of the new Dorset Police and Crime Plan 2017-21, highlighting several key areas, in particular: challenges facing mental health service provision, the threat from cybercrime and terrorism, child sexual exploitation, slavery and scams and frauds targeting the elderly.

The plan is intended to allow voluntary services used by the force in Dorset to be better co-ordinated.

Mr Underhill also told the meeting that his department would be seeking to improve rehabilitation and mentoring services for offenders to prevent reoffending, and pushing for more safe driving courses for motorists.

Also, he said, Dorset Police was planning to introduce a new electronic tagging system for better offender management.