Cumbria receives over £116,000 to make the county safer for women at night

The Police and Crime Commissioner for Cumbria has been awarded £116,367 for projects focused on improving the safety of women and girls at night.

The bids for money from the Safety of Women at Night fund include initiatives such as drink spiking detection kits, a transport safety campaign and trained staff to support safe taxi journeys.  

This will all be in addition to the efforts already underway through the Safer Streets Fund which includes more streetlights, CCTV and educational programmes.Peter McCall says the funding will go towards projects in Carlisle such as developing a team of Street Marshals who will operate with existing Street Pastors providing support to people and help prevent problems from escalating. The PCC added that this service would be available to anyone in need, but research suggests women and girls are more likely to require help.The Constabulary will also be working with the University of Cumbria to develop a production to be delivered by university students in secondary schools in the Carlisle area, and also with Crimestoppers in a widespread campaign highlighting unwanted attention, sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour in the night-time economy.

Chief Superintendent of Cumbria Police, Lisa Hogan adds, "Tackling violence against women and girls is a priority for us all, which is why this funding, aimed at improving women's safety at night, is so welcome. Everyone has a right to go about their lives without being made to feel scared or intimidated."

The Home Office, with the support of the National Police Chiefs' Council, has also launched a new online tool called StreetSafe, piloted across police forces in England and Wales. It allows the public, particularly women and girls, to pinpoint areas on a map where they feel unsafe and say why. The information is used by police forces to better work with communities to improve local safety.