North East receives over £462k to make the region safer for women at night
Organisations across the North East have been awarded over £462,000 to projects focused on improving the safety of women and girls at night.
The successful 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.
Police and local authorities in the North East region are receiving a total of £462,796.68.
This will all be in addition to the efforts already underway through the Safer Streets Fund which includes more streetlights, CCTV and educational programmes.
Home Secretary Priti Patel says, "Violence against women and girls in our country's nightlife is still an awful reality for many, and horrific crimes such as sexual assault have devastating consequences.
"Working with the police, local authorities and venues these innovative projects will identify and crack down on those who pose a risk and give women the practical support when they need it.
"We must use every possible tool at our disposal to ensure people feel safe at night when walking home, using transport, or enjoying a night out with friends."
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.