COMMUNITY safety initiatives in Oxfordshire – including drug and alcohol action programmes – are being warned that cutbacks could take place from next year.

Despite Thames Valley Police having to find savings of £40m over the next four years, Police and Crime Commissioner Anthony Stansfeld decided he would not cut funding to community schemes in 2013/2014.

He has announced that £3.5m is being paid out to community groups across the Thames Valley – but cannot guarantee the same level of funding in future years.

Nine funding streams for the region totalling £3.9m have been axed by the Home Office and replaced with a £3.083m Community Safety Fund.

Despite cuts of 21 per cent in Home Office grant funding, spending on community initiatives in the county has been maintained, after an extra £400,000 was injected into the budget from council tax payments.

Last year, the Oxfordshire Safer Communities Partnership, which allocates funding to community safety organisations, received £780,000.

This year organisations have received £746,160, a reduction of £33,840.

Ian Thompson, acting chief finance officer for Mr Stansfeld, said: “The police proportion of council tax bills was increased by two per cent, and we put about £400,000 into this year’s budget from council tax payments to cover the funding gap, after we received only £3.083m from the Community Safety Fund.

“But this is a one-year only commitment and we cannot afford to do this in later years. It’s possible there could be a reduction of about £400,000 to community safety groups next year.

“It will be a choice of whether to spend money on that or policing.

“We will work closely with community safety organisations to try to identify efficiency savings. We put money into these services, as do councils, and will try to deliver the same service for less money.”

Mr Stansfeld added that the £3.5m investment in crime prevention and reduction services will enable partnership organisations to continue with their essential work.

He said: “Some of the projects being funded include services to tackle domestic violence, antisocial behaviour, substance misuse and re-offending, as well as support services for victims.”

Neil Holman, Positive Futures programme manager at Oxford City Council, said continued funding would allow work with 1,000 young people aged 10 to 19 to continue. The organisation runs activities including sport, music, and dance in a bid to reduce youth crime and anti-social behaviour.

Mr Holman said: “The young people who are involved in the programme are extremely appreciative and I hope funding will be made again in future years so we can continue the good work.”

Mr Stansfeld has proposed increasing the policing element of the council tax bill by 2.5 per cent in each of the following three years to cope with the funding shortfall.

Community safety grants will be paid to local authorities to commission work through Community Safety Partnerships, Youth Offending Teams and Drug and Alcohol Action Teams.

Funding has also been given to Thames Valley Police to fund its Custody Intervention Programme.