New emergency Help Point to enhance city centre safety

A unique 24-hour CCTV emergency Help Point has been installed in Nottingham city centre to help enhance public safety.

The column, which allows anyone in distress to speak directly to CCTV control room operators at the touch of a button, has been put up in Angel Row following a public survey asking women and girls where they wanted extra security.

Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Gary Godden approved the funding of the innovative device after more than 3,600 people responded to the Walk In My Shoes survey, run last year by Nottinghamshire Police, with support from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC).

Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Angela Kandola, who is the OPCC’s strategic lead for tackling violence against women and girls, officially unveiled the bespoke, one-of-a-kind Help Point today.

"The Walk In My Shoes survey highlighted Angel Row as the area in the city centre that women and girls said they most wanted extra security, and I'm delighted to say we can now unveil this new Help Point to give people round-the-clock support," said Deputy PCC Kandola.

“The city centre is very well policed with officers operating 24/7 to keep the public safe. A range of partner agencies also have high-visibility officers on patrol in the city.

“This Help Point adds to that offer – ensuring we are thinking outside the box and doing everything we can to make Nottingham a safer place.

“This is particularly important for women and girls, who are by far the most victimised by violence, including sexual violence. However, the help point can be used by anyone to get immediate support when they need it.”

The 4m-tall, custom-made Help Point has a rotating CCTV camera at the top and an intercom, allowing people who push the button to ask for help from the staff in Nottingham City Council’s CCTV control room who can capture evidence and raise the alarm to police if necessary.

It is specially designed to be user friendly, including being accessible for people in wheelchairs and fitted with a hearing loop for those with hearing difficulties, and features reflective paint and clear signage.

It also has a flashing blue light at the top of the column, which activates when the help button is pushed to provide reassurance and raise awareness at the scene that help is needed, and continues until the incident is safely dealt with.

PCC Godden said: "We have listened to the voices of local women and girls about where they feel the least safe and with the installation of this Help Point we have taken direct action to help improve feelings of safety.

"I'm delighted to be able to fund this intervention which supports the work of partner agencies such as Nottinghamshire Police who also committed to carrying out extra patrols in response to the survey."

The funding came to the PCC from the Home Office’s Hot Spot Action Fund, which is earmarked for interventions to prevent serious violence and antisocial behaviour, including extra policing patrols and targeted problem solving.

Superintendent Heather Maelor, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: "We are delighted to have the Angel Row help point in operation. Women and girls were very clear with us that they felt the area needed better coverage and extra security.

"While Angel Row is part of our police patrol plans, having a dedicated help point means we can capture people's safety concerns immediately.

"This will not replace policing in the area but will be an additional tool to help us detect any incidents before they escalate.

"We are also committed to delivering the recommended changes that were raised by the public across the county."

Nottinghamshire Police launched its Walk in My Shoes campaign at the end of March 2025 to find out the areas where women and girls felt unsafe.

Deputy PCC Angela Kandola led the OPCC's targeted community engagement with ethnically diverse communities to ensure their voices were heard.

The bespoke survey attracted more than 3,600 responses and was supported by Nottingham Forest Netball Team, Tara’s Angels, and These Girls Run, who had changed their running route due to safety fears.

Five key locations were identified across the city and county, with Angel Row being one of the locations where women and girls wanted extra security.

The Help Point adds to a growing network of safety systems in the city centre, where people can seek a safe haven and support.

This includes designated 'Safe Spaces' at dozens of licensed premises in the city centre, a vast CCTV network across the city and Help Points at every tram stop across the network which people can use to ask for help.

The Help Point is also a boost for multi-agency partnership efforts to enhance safety in the city centre, known as Operation Reclaim.

Partners involved in the design, creation and installation of the Help Point include CIE Group, Knoxford AV Tech and TIS Group.