The Home Secretary Priti Patel has announced the successful bids in England and Wales from the Safety of Women at Night Fund. That was launched in July with up to £5m for projects and schemes aimed at safety of women in public spaces at night.
It was part of an official response to an outcry over violence against women after such high-profile cases as the murder of Sarah Everard. The polling firm Yougov recently found from surveys in 2018 and this year that women are more likely to feel unsafe than they were in 2018, particularly when it comes to walking alone at night.
As another sign of wider official efforts to respond to women’s unease, in September Deputy Chief Constable Maggie Blyth was appointed as the National Police Lead for Violence Against Women and Girls, to coordinate police action across England and Wales; she was among the speakers at the Security Industry Authority’s online conference on Wednesday.
As featured in the November print edition of Professional Security magazine, some £25m third round of Safer Streets funding from the Home Office was explicitly aimed at bids from police and local government that proposed ‘interventions’ for women’s safety, whether physical security such as more streetlights and CCTV, or reporting apps or awareness training.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “Violence against women and girls in our country’s nightlife is still an awful reality for many, and horrific crimes such as sexual assault have devastating consequences. Working with the police, local authorities and venues these innovative projects will identify and crack down on those who pose a risk and give women the practical support when they need it. We must use every possible tool at our disposal to ensure people feel safe at night when walking home, using transport, or enjoying a night out with friends.”
Bedfordshire’s Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Festus Akinbusoye is the Prevention Lead at the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC). He said: “No one should be made to feel scared or intimidated while they enjoy our vibrant British nightlife. PCCs are committed to making our communities safer, including reducing violence against women and girls. This money will enable us to support practical solutions which make people feel safer and build an evidence base for what works.”
The APCC points to:
– Safe routes into and out of town centres in Northamptonshire, and work with licensees to accredit their premises as safe locations.
In Cheshire (see the PCC’s website) new technology for victims of crime, or those who find themselves feeling vulnerable, to be in live video contact with the Force Control Room.
In Sussex funding will pay for a taxi marshal scheme, more police patrols in key areas in the lead up to Christmas, plus awareness training on sexual harassment and violence against women and girls for licensees.
– Undercover police officers in town centres will seek to identify vulnerable women and girls, and potential offenders, in the weeks leading up to Christmas in North Wales.
– In Nottinghamshire funding will pay for training for people working in venues, and on the Nottingham trams, on how best to respond to perpetrators and women experiencing violence. A new Charter will include specific pledges committing premises to demonstrate they are tackling violence against women and girls.
