A scheme to create places of safety for people who feel threatened or vulnerable is being launched in North Liverpool.
The CitySafe Haven initiative involves shopkeepers, community centres and business owners offering their premises as places of safety where people who feel threatened, vulnerable or intimidated can go to seek shelter. Staff will then act to help. This may include locking their premises, calling a family member or the police.
The ‘Disarm’ group of CitySafe, Liverpool’s Community Safety Partnership, is launching the initiative. CitySafe Havens will operate across four wards – County, Anfield, Kirkdale and Everton.
Local young people from the ‘CAKE’ youth consultation group had a final say on locations of havens. This group is made up of young people from across all four wards who regularly frequent these areas, particularly after dark.
Thirty-five premises have signed up for the first phase of the initiative. All will display an illuminated sign, visible from a distance. Each CitySafe Haven has been subject to a security assessment by Crime Reduction Officers and brought up to a high security standard free of charge. This ensures that anyone seeking refuge, once inside, will be safe. Detailed Police checks have been conducted on all premises to ensure they are fit and proper places for inclusion in the initiative. Training is under way for all staff, which includes, operating a CitySafe Haven, child safeguarding and first aid. All local schools will hold a CitySafe Havens assembly over the coming weeks to raise awareness of the initiative. In addition to this, all local sheltered accommodation will be visited to inform them of the scheme. Liverpool is the first city outside London to set up this. Across London there are 200 premises designated as havens.
The London initiative was a response to the death of Jimmy Mizen, a 16 year old murdered in a bakery near his south London home in 2008.
His father, Barry, will be speaking at the official launch of the initiative on behalf of the Jimmy Mizen Foundation.
The launch was at the Alex Young Suite in Goodison Park on Wednesday 12 January at 1pm. Speakers at the event included Councillor Ann O’Byrne, City Council Cabinet member for Community Safety, Assistant Chief Constable, Susannah Fish, the national strategic lead for the Tackling Knives and serious Youth Violence Action Programme (TKAP), representatives from the local business community and a member of the youth consultation group ‘C.A.K.E.’
Councillor O’Byrne, said: "This is a very important initiative in which the community can take responsibility for providing protection for those people who feel threatened.
"We are building a network of CitySafe Havens in the heart of the community. Nobody should feel afraid when they are out and about in their Neighbourhoods and the knowledge that there is always somewhere they can go if they feel threatened will take away that fear.
"I am pleased so many shops and other organisations have come forward to become CitySafe Havens."
Supt Simon Irving, the lead Officer for TKAP in Liverpool said, "We are delighted to be involved in the CitySafe Haven initiative. The agencies working together on the ‘Disarm Group’ were inspired by the approach taken by the Jimmy Mizen Foundation in establishing Safe Havens in London. We have used their learning in developing our approach to CitySafe Havens and I am convinced that they will prove to be invaluable for members of our community when feeling vulnerable and in need of help."
Cash Convertors are one of the businesses taking part. Damian Tart, store manager, speaking before the launch event, said: "We are pleased to be a part of this new initiative for Liverpool. Although shops and businesses throughout the city would already go out of their way to help people, this scheme clearly identifies those safe places that are equipped to provide assistance, creating a stronger and safer community."
