The streets of South Kesteven are set to become safer thanks to a £172,000 injection of Government money to fund a series of initiatives.
SKDC’s Cabinet today voted to accept the money, which followed a Safer Streets Bid to:
- Increase CCTV operative cover for weekend
- Increase night-time and weekend town patrols
- Appoint A Safer Streets Champion
- Extend the Pub Watch Scheme
- Provide Ask for Angela/Street Safe staff training
- Establish the provision of Home Safe Tokens
These initiatives will together help boost the night-time economy by making the district feel safer for those out and about.
Home Safe is a scheme to enable someone who is vulnerable or under threat to get home safely.
Cabinet Member for People and Communities, Cllr Rhea Rayside, explained: “This is an extension of Ask for Angela, to give venue operators another option to help anyone who appears to be vulnerable or under threat and has no way to remove themselves from a situation.
"For example, if a woman was in a pub and notices that an abusive ex-partner has arrived and she felt she needed a quiet way to exit, she could simply go the bar and ask for Angela. The bar staff would immediately help her choose the best way forward, which may include the option of a taxi nominated as part of the scheme.”
A Safer Street Champion would be appointed to co-ordinate the overall project – liaising directly with venues, agencies, the police and the public to ensure the successful implementation and monitoring of the schemes.
An increase in CCTV staffing covering weekend evenings will help prevent and detect crime within the night-time economy, coupled with an increase in night-time and weekend patrols from SKDC’s neighbourhoods and licensing officers as a visible deterrent.
This would predominantly cover Grantham but the additional hours would allow for further patrols in hotspot areas across South Kesteven where it is necessary to gather intelligence and disrupt a wide range of behaviours including county lines, child exploitation and violence against women and girls, which are all closely linked to the night-time economy.
The Council must now allocate match funding of £93,000, comprising £76,000 from the already-agreed CCTV upgrade project and the balance of £16,000 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Other matched funding measures include: protection against drink spiking with Drink Safe Covers, anti-spiking bottle stoppers and test kits; organisation of self-defence classes and use some of the money to provide personal alarms and torches to women and girls to support their safe journey home.
The CCTV upgrade project will pay for around 65 CCTV camera replacements or upgrades together with an upgrade to the Wi-Fi they use.