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Cllr Helen-Ann Smith and Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry

New survey asks women how safe they feel after £550k safety project

Ashfield District Councillor Helen-Ann Smith, Ashfield District Council and Nottinghamshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry have launched a new survey asking people for their views following a £550k project to improve the safety of women and girls in Sutton in Ashfield.

Ashfield District Council, Commissioner Henry, Nottinghamshire Police, Nottinghamshire County Council, NIDAS (Nottinghamshire Independent Domestic Abuse Services), Equation and local organisations have been working together since October to deliver a raft of safety improvements in the New Cross and wider Sutton area.

The interventions, funded by a grant from the Home Office’s Safer Streets 3 Fund, have included the installation of additional CCTV across the town, new street lighting, extra police visibility patrols and the launch of a new Safety Accreditation Scheme for businesses.

The snapshot survey will measure if women feel more confident following the changes and if they support further improvements.

Commissioner Henry said: “I am proud of the changes we have made to improve safety in Sutton in Ashfield 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. I hope women in Sutton in Ashfield already feel safer but the good work will continue and we will continue to listen and prioritise their needs.”

Cllr Helen-Ann Smith, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, said: 

“We have already delivered some fantastic projects as part of Safer Streets. It’s important that all residents, and particularly women and girls feel safe when they are out and about in our communities.
“I’d encourage as many people as possible to complete the survey and share their views. We are committed to continuing to deliver initiatives that make our communities safer places to be.   Residents’ feedback will help shape that.”
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.”

The funding, which has been invested in partnership with Ashfield District Council, has already brought a wealth of improvements including:

  • Free security improvements including CCTV and PIR lighting for 58 businesses as part of a new Safe Spaces Accreditation Scheme
  • 13 upgraded CCTV cameras across the town
  • 10 fixed ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) cameras in key locations
  • 1,734 hours of additional police patrols • 62 street light upgrades and 19 new lighting installations
  • 396 hours of joint Ashfield District Council and Nottinghamshire Police patrols on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays
  • 450 hours of environmental improvements and street cleansing
  • 10 community training events raising awareness of women’s safety to the communities of Ashfield
  • E-Learning training for up to 150 transport, business and local professionals encouraging more men to become active bystanders to protect women
  • 436 young people surveyed, six focus groups delivered and eight safety sessions held in schools
  • Safety App trial to test latest mobile phone safety technology for women
  • Gating order enacted under the Public Spaces Protection Order between Welbeck and Bentinck Street, Sutton
  • Installation of 6 x Ultra High definition re-deployable cameras within hotspot areas
  • Dedicated neighbourhood tasking meetings established to manage problem people, places and premises

To complete the survey visit: https://wh1.snapsurveys.com/s.asp?k=164615282425