Survey shows nearly nine out of 10 women in Worksop feel safe

A new survey measuring the impact of a £550k safety improvement project in Worksop has revealed nearly nine in 10 women feel safe when out in their local area during the day.

Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry launched the snapshot survey following the conclusion of the Safer Streets 3 project in Worksop Town Centre.

The multiagency scheme, which saw Commissioner Henry work alongside Bassetlaw District Council, Nottinghamshire Police, Nottinghamshire County Council and specialist support providers for victims of abuse, delivered a network of pioneering CCTV Refuge Points across the town where members of the public – especially women and girls – can instantly alert CCTV Control Room staff when they feel threatened or at risk.

In addition to upgraded street lighting, automatic numberplate recognition (ANPR) cameras and increased police visibility patrols, it also delivered the groundbreaking’ Stand by Her’ training workshop – believed to be the first of its kind in the country – to help male employees across the town understand misogyny and call out unacceptable behaviour towards women when they witness it.

Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with more than 80 per cent of women saying they feel safer as a result of the initiative.

A male attendee of a ‘Stand By Her’ training session also commented: “I feel more confident in helping women experiencing unwanted behaviours. I found the training incredibly beneficial and feel confident in intervening to demonstrate allyship to women experiencing unwanted behaviours.”

As a result of the scheme’s success, Commissioner Henry has already submitted a bid for further ‘substantial’ funding for areas of Worksop South and Worksop South East as well the Castle area of Newark in the Home Office’s forthcoming Safer Streets 4 project.

Commissioner Henry said: “The Safer Streets initiative has been a resounding success, delivering permanent, practical resources that will help us deter and detect crime now and in years to come.

“The results of this survey show that investment in innovative measures such as Refuge Cameras and bystander training, as well as street lighting and CCTV, has made a difference to both women and men and increased feelings of safety.  Importantly, the vast majority of people we spoke to also believe this investment to be a good use of resources.

“The plan now is to build on this strong foundation and secure Worksop and other areas of Nottinghamshire the money needed to keep on making our public spaces even safer.”

 NOTES TO EDITORS

The survey was completed by SMSR Research and involved 200 face-to-face interviews and 10 online submissions.

The headline findings show:

• 89% of residents say they feel safe when out during the day in their local area
• 63% feel unsafe when out in their local area during the dark
• The majority feel safe in their home during the day (97%) and during the night (89%)
• 62% feel safe on public transport during the day; 31% feel safe travelling during the dark
• 85% believe that engaging with local residents and businesses about female safety is a good use of resources
• 75% say this strategy makes them feel safer
• 84% say that installing CCTV and APNR in the local area is a good use of resources; 83% feel safer due to this initiative
• 89% recognise visible patrols as a good use of resources
• 85% believe that improvements to streetlighting and the environment is a good use of resources

 Ends