People across North Wales are being urged to vote for their favourite crime fighting schemes - using money seized from criminals.

The successful groups stand to win £2,500 each from a pot of money set up by North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones.

There is a total of more than £40,000 up for grabs with two groups from each county set to be rewarded.

In addition, two groups that work throughout North Wales will each receive a grant of £5,000.

The only condition is that the successful groups have to pledge to to run projects to tackle anti-social behaviour and combat crime and disorder.

The ‘Your Community, Your Choice’ scheme was launched by  Mr Jones and Assistant Chief Constable Richard Debicki  in partnership with the North Wales Police and Community Trust (PACT).

It is being jointly funded by money recovered through the Proceeds of Crime Act, using cash confiscated from offenders, and the Commissioner’s Fund.

North Wales Police are the top performing force in Wales  when it comes to proceeds of crime seizures.

During the last financial year the force received £106,850 in comparison to the previous year’s returns of £63,035.

A shortlist of applicants for the Your Community Your Choice cash has been chosen by a special panel and the public will decide which groups to support with a vote via the websites of  North Wales Police and the commissioner, as well as a dedicated email address. 

The voting will end on December 1.

Mr Jones said: "It's very appropriate that this scheme takes money away from the crooks and gives it to the people to improve the quality of life in their communities by helping them to combat crime and disorder or anti-social behaviour.

"The money is going  where it’s going to make a difference in reducing crime and in improving the quality of the communities which suffer the crime."

The message was reinforced by Asst Chief Constable Debicki who said: "It is a very good thing for community groups to be able to access pots of money in order to be able to reduce crime and disorder within their communities and improve the quality of life for the community in their area."

PACT chairman David Williams said: "One of the real pluses of the scheme is that ultimately it’s the public who has the voice and who will say which projects will go forward and are worthy of this important money."

Finalists include: Anglsey-based Grwp Cymunedol #caruamlwch/Community Action Project, £2,500 to support a pop-up cinema; Age Well Hwyliog Mon, £500 for personal safety equipment; Anglesey Sports Development, Friday Fitness Scheme, £2,500; Gaerwen FC, £2,500 for ground repairs;  Abergele Town Council, £2,000 for Pensarn CCTV; Llandudno Football Club in the Community John Bright Junior Project, £2,500; Canolfan Dewi Sant Centre Community Centre, £2,500; Jigsaw Brighter Futures, £2,500; The Colwyn Bay Conservation Environment Federation row Wild and Eirias Parc Footpaths projects, £2,500; South Denbighshire Community Partnership, Intergenerational project in the community, £2,500; Denbigh Town Council; Denbigh CCTV, £2,500; 4thecommunity, to fund street ames with volunteers fro children aged seven to 14 in West Rhyl, £2,500; Llanfwrog Community Association, Car park security, £2,500; Denbigh in Bloom, £2,000; 1st Mynydd Isa Scout Group, scout hut refurbishment, £2,500; Mold-based RainbowBiz Ltd neighbourhood safety drop-in groups, £2,500; Flintshire & Wrexham (Online Watch Link) Association, Community Action Flintshire, £2,500 to provide CCTV kits; Friends of Park Ave ‘Rec’ Saltney, Saltney ‘REC’ Community Restoration Project, £2,500;

Neuadd Gymunedol, Dyffryn Ardudwy, CCTV and building improvements, £2,500; Gwarchod Bermo Watch CCTV  upgrade, £2,500; Maesgeirchen Amateur Boxing Club in partnership with Partneriaeth Maesgierchen, Maesgeirchen Amateur Boxing Club development, £2,500; Gisda Symud Ymlaen, £2,500 weekly football group for vulnerable people; Clwb Pel-Droed, Llanllyfni, £2,500 to provide facilities and safety resources for the football club, Remembrance Hall and the Nursery’s equipment; Welsh Hearts / Calonnau Cymru, Pen Llyn Community Defibrillator Project, £2,500; Wrexham Inclusion Football Club, Build the Bus, £2,500 to purchase of a minibus; Temps Out of School Holiday Club’s The Magic of Quidditch sport group, £1,000 for a coach; Bellevue Playgroup, Environment improvement, £2,500 to extend outdoor play area; Rhos FC Project, £2,500 to further develop football club; The Salvation Army, Wrexham Corps and ARK Community Centre, to support its Employment Plus Local, £2,500; Flintshire & Wrexham (Online Watch Link) Association, Community Action Wrexham, £2,500 for CCTV.

North Wales wide projects: DangerPoint, CyberPoint, £5,000 to provide subsidised interactive tours for 368 pupils from targeted schools across North Wales to visit DangerPoint; Haven of Light CIC, ‘Finding Freedom, Bringing Hope’, £5,000 to support victims of modern slavery; The Aloud Charity, Only Boys Aloud- North Wales Choirs, £5,000; Boys' and Girls' Clubs of Wales, Friday Night Football, project, £5,000; North Wales Neighbourhood Watch Association, £2,500 for information leaflets and newsletters.

For more information on how to vote telephone 01745 588516 or go to www.northwales-pcc.gov.uk or www.north-wales.police.uk