Cumbria Police are making changes to address how safe women and girls feel in Cumbria.
Public places that cause concern for women and girls are receiving renewed focus from officers as they aim to prioritise safety through patrols, partnership working and other preventative measures.
It comes after police listened to the views of those who took part in the Call it Out online survey – which looked at how safe women and girls feel in the county.
Over 2,480 people took part in the survey, which sought opinion on topics including how women and girls felt in their own homes, neighbourhoods and towns and included questions about personal experiences.
The data has since been analysed and is now being used to better inform police services and work with partners.
Key findings from the survey identified that the most frequent reason given for feeling unsafe was groups of people hanging around.
It also found that women and girls felt most unsafe at night while out in public and nearly three in four respondents reported experiencing inappropriate behaviour or language such as catcalling.
Detective Inspector Matt Belshaw is the constabulary’s dedicated operational detective inspector overseeing work on this issue.
He said: “Violence against women and girls is unacceptable and everyone should be safe and feel safe, no matter where they are.
“We’re grateful to every one of the thousands of people who took part in our survey and all their views contributed to help us build a better picture of this issue.
“What we found was the areas that were already subject to our preventative measures and patrols were the key places highlighted in people’s concerns.
“I’m sure that should offer some reassurance to people that we are aware of the problem areas and measures are already in place.
“But it also highlighted some additions to our existing knowledge, for instance there might be mention of a path leading to a known area of concern that worries people, and our plans to prevent crime – including patrols and work with partners – will change to take these into account.
“At Cumbria Constabulary we have contempt for the act of criminality – it has no place in our communities.
“Just as importantly, we have compassion for victims. Both these aspects of our mission to keep Cumbria’s communities safe form the bedrock of our response to this issue.”
What changes have been made so far?
The constabulary has been carrying out more proactive patrols around pubs and clubs to target anyone who looks like they may be preying on vulnerable people out in the county’s night-time economy.
A Safer Streets Welfare Hub is also in place in Carlisle to support people on a night out, specifically vulnerable people – and plans are in place to roll this out in the west and south of the county and to use them at major events.
The data from Call it Out has also helped focus bids for funding from the Home Office’s Safer Streets Funds, with a successful bid made by Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Peter McCall, which is being used on a number of measures.
Support for these will follow in the form of staffing and funding from the constabulary, the Office for the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner and local authorities.
The bids seek to tackle everything raised in Call It Out, from groups of people congregating, calls for improved lighting and more CCTV and tackling anti-social driving.
Work is also being carried out to make people feel safer at The Line in Workington – part of the Coast-to-Coast route.
The work is taking place on a section starting on Harrington Road through to Moorclose and includes cutting back overgrown areas, upgrading paths, providing additional signage and removing graffiti and signs of substance abuse which intends to make people feel safer.
Local school pupils will be designing new street art to cover the graffiti, with the theme of the art including safety of women and girls.
Hammond’s Pond in Carlisle will also be getting improved lighting in the park in a bid to improve feelings of safety and deter crime and anti-social behaviour.
Funding will also be used to reduce anti-social behaviour in Penrith town centre, which increases concerns around the issue of violence against women and girls.
DI Belshaw added all neighbourhood policing team leaders are held accountable to tackle the issues raised in the Call It Out campaign.
He added said: “This survey has been vital in confirming we are responding in the right areas and that we are aware of the places and issues that cause concern.
“Where there has been an area highlighted that differs from where we currently focus, we are responding accordingly thanks to the Call It Out data.
“New areas of concern have also been raised, for example in some outlying areas of our major towns, such as Cleator Moor, and some areas of Kendal.
“In terms of providing reassurance to those out at night, we continue to run Operation Vigilant and Operation Regulate.
“These are uniformed street patrol campaigns to deter potential opportunistic offenders out at night in the areas around our pubs and clubs.
“Specialist training has been given to officers on night shifts in urban areas and this provides them with key identifying markers for potential perpetrators targeting vulnerable people.”
Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Peter McCall, added that violence against women and girls remains a priority in Cumbria.
He said: “Violence against women and girls is a priority here in Cumbria as we want to ensure everyone feels safe in our communities whether they live, work, or visit the county.
“By listening to the views of women and girls in the county and to their experiences we can more effectively look at solutions to aim to create a county where this type of violence is less opportunistic and therefore help women and girls feel safer in their community.
“With funding from the Home Office’s Safer Streets, simple remedies such as cutting back on greenery and adding or upgrading streetlighting can make areas feel safer.
“Violence against anyone is unacceptable, but we understand that women and girls are more likely to experience it in day-to-day life, which is why we are adamant to put an end to it.
“It simply will not be tolerated in Cumbria and I would like to urge anyone who has experienced this type of violence to please report it to the Police on 101 or 999 in an emergency.
“Everyone has the right to feel safe on our streets.”
If you wish to report to police you can do so online at www.cumbria.police.uk/report-it. Or 101.
Always phone 999 in an emergency or if a crime is in progress.
Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
A round-up of services across Cumbria is available here: Victim Services Archive – Cumbria Police and Crime Commissioner (cumbria-pcc.gov.uk)
