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New survey asks women how safe they feel after security improvements

Priti Patel, Caroline Henry and Brendan Clarke-Smith

Home Secretary Priti Patel, PCC Caroline Henry and Brendan Clarke-Smith MP

Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry has launched a new survey asking people for their views following a £550k project to improve the safety of women and girls in Worksop.

Commissioner Henry has been working in partnership with Bassetlaw District Council, Nottinghamshire Police and Nottinghamshire County Council since October to deliver a raft of safety improvements in Worksop Town Centre.

The interventions, funded in partnership with Bassetlaw District Council thanks to a grant from the Home Office’s Safer Streets 3 Fund, have included additional CCTV, new street lighting and additional police visibility patrols as well as a host of training programmes and workshops for young people and adults to tackle misogyny and the harmful behaviour that underpins violence.

The snapshot survey will ask women how the changes have impacted their lives and their views for improvements in the future.

Commissioner Henry said: “I am proud of the changes we have made to improve safety in Worksop for local people, especially women and girls.

“We remain at the forefront of efforts to reduce vulnerability and risk on our streets, trialling new approaches that have attracted national interest to increase confidence and lessen fear.

“There is much more to do, however. Safer Streets is just the start of what will be a long-term effort to protect women and reduce the unacceptable behaviour and attitudes that can escalate into violence in the future.

“Keeping women and girls safe at home, online and on our streets is a top priority. There is a real appetite in Worksop for this multiagency work to continue and we are already looking at how this might happen. 

“I hope women in Worksop already feel safer but the good work will continue and I will continue to listen and prioritise their needs.”

Councillor Jo White, Deputy Leader of Bassetlaw District Council, said: “It’s really important that women and girls share their views on how we can improve things for the future. I welcome the investment made through Safer Streets, but this has to be the start of the journey. It is only by listening to and understanding what makes women feel safe that we can deliver lasting change.”

Superintendent Kevin Broadhead, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Keeping the public safe remains one of our top priorities and I would really encourage people from across the county in these areas to complete the survey and tell us how these improvements have impacted lives and made people feel safer.

“It’s also a great opportunity for us and our partners to see what else we can do to make people feel safe and really listen and act on any feedback we receive.”

Bassetlaw MP Brendan Clarke-Smith said: “People should feel comfortable in their communities and following International Women’s Day this last week, it’s important that we make a renewed focus on the safety and well-being of women and girls locally and in wider society. I would encourage everybody wanting to help us make a change to get involved and to complete this important survey with their observations and suggestions.”

The funding has already delivered a wealth of improvements including:

  • 27 CCTV cameras (15 new and 12 upgrades) in hotspot locations where women have identified feeling unsafe and vulnerable.
  • Recruitment drive to appoint two new CCTV operators
  • Three new fixed ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) cameras to help police identify suspects, disrupt criminal activity, gather intelligence and investigate crime.
  • 1063 hours of high visibility police patrols
  • Upgrades to 180 street lights in key hotspots to boost visibility
  • 296 hours of environmental improvement works to tackle overgrown trees and bushes, litter and graffiti.
  • Three Worksop employers signed up to delivering My Connections toolkit to staff working with young people using harmful behaviours in their intimate relationships
  • Stand by Her bystander training sessions giving men confidence to protect women from harassment and abuse

To complete the survey visit: https://wh1.snapsurveys.com/s.asp?k=164615284326

ENDS

 

Posted on Friday 18th March 2022
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