Women in Cumbria urged to share safety concerns with police as part of campaign
Women in Cumbria are being urged to share their concerns on personal safety in their day-to-day lives.
It is part of Cumbria' Police's "Call It Out" campaign, sparked by the death of Sarah Everard. It is hoped the stories will address behaviour and crime that must be challenged across the county.
The campaign was announced by Cumbria’s Police & Crime Commissioner, Peter McCall.
The anonymous survey is available to fill out and will run until midday on 1 April.
Chief Superintendent Sarah Jackson, Cumbria Constabulary, said: “This is a time for society to reflect on what needs to be done to reduce violence, abuse and harassment against women and girls. Whilst the police are not the sole solution, we clearly have an important role in addressing some of the issues being widely discussed.
“The first step is to listen to what women and girls in our community have to say on their personal experiences and how safe they feel. We also want to ensure that anyone who needs help and support, knows how to access it.
“The information we get from the survey will form part of a wider ‘Call It Out’ campaign, which will enable us understand what needs done, it will inform our plans and our approach in the future to improve personal safety.
“No woman should ever feel intimated or unsafe. I urge women and girls to support the ‘Call It Out’ campaign and complete the survey so we can all work together to make Cumbria a safer place."
Cumbria’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Peter McCall, said: “The tragic circumstances around Sarah Everard’s death have highlighted the unacceptable level of harassment and fear too many women and girls experience on our streets, this culture has to change.
“Police enforcement isn’t the single answer to this issue, we need to work with parents, schools, employers and all agencies to change culture but there is already a lot of good work being done around women’s safety but we clearly need to do more.
“I want to reassure every woman and girl in the county that the police are here to protect you and that if you have or are experiencing sexual assault, harassment, rape or any type of abuse, please report it to the police – your report will be taken seriously.
“Finally, I would ask all men to consider your actions too. Every single one of us must think about how we treat and behave towards women and girls.”
More information:
To independently access support services, people can contact Victim Support on 0808 1689 111 or visit www.cumbriatogether.com for the contact details.
If you have been affected by rape or sexual assault you can contact The Bridgeway’s free 24/7 helpline on 0808 118 6432. The Bridgeway is Cumbria’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre which provides expert support to victims of rape or sexual assault.