Emergency call point installed

A new emergency call point has been installed near the Sheerness Clock Tower, providing residents and visitors with a quick and easy way to contact emergency services if they’re feeling unsafe.

By pressing the button on the call point, users can be connected directly to the council’s CCTV Control Centre.

The control room operators can then provide immediate assistance, whether it’s offering reassurance, directing emergency services, or monitoring the situation via the in-built call point camera or nearby CCTV cameras which have a view of the entire high street.

The call point has been installed, on a trial basis, by Swale Borough Council as part of its ongoing Safer Streets project, which aims to enhance safety and security in the area.

People feeling unsafe in Sheerness High Street can now get help quickly by using a newly installed emergency call point.

As well as the call point, the council is installing additional infrastructure to further expand the Swale Link scheme.

This gives local businesses that sign up a radio that allows them to speak directly to the control centre and the police.

The new equipment will increase the area the scheme covers, allowing even more businesses to sign up.

The council’s Safer Streets project is working to help people feel safe in the towns, and has carried out a range of projects to keep local people safe, including:

• installing more CCTV cameras in both Sheerness and Sittingbourne
• deploying unformed marshals during school holidays
• improving lighting in open spaces, such as at the Beachfields play area
• funding youth programmes including Brogdale CIC’s Vibe Youth Hub
• offering free active bystander, and train the trainer, training
• trimming down overgrown trees to make spaces lighter and more open
• educational workshops at a local secondary school focusing on subjects such as anti-social behaviour, drugs, alcohol, knife crime and vaping
• giving out anti spiking merchandise and personal alarms
• working in partnership with Sheppey Matters to help fund community engagement events

The Safer Streets campaign is being funded by the Government’s Safer Streets Fund, which the council successfully bid for by working with the Kent Police and Crime Commissioner through the Community Safety Partnership.

The money is being invested into measures in Sittingbourne and Sheerness Town Centres that help tackle the higher level of crime, antisocial behaviour and violence against women and girls.

Cllr Richard Palmer, chair of the Community and Leisure Committee, said:

“We have been working hard to tackle the issues of antisocial behaviour and violence against women and girls through active intervention.

“This has seen marshals patrolling the streets, and deterrents like additional cameras and improved lighting around the towns.

“We have also tried to change behaviours that lead to crime and antisocial behaviour, with events at schools and training to give people the skills to intervene in potentially harmful situations.

“This emergency call point will help people get help quickly thanks to our CCTV control centre.

“We want people to know that if they need help, we are just a button press away.”

Cllr Elliott Jayes, chair of the Community and Leisure Committee, said:

“The funding for the Safer Streets project that ultimately comes from the Government will unfortunately be coming to an end next year.

“We have tried to make sure that the work we’ve done will keep making an impact when the money is gone, with things like additional cameras, and a strong emphasis on education and training.

“The Safer Streets project has made a positive impact, but we know that to build on this we need to do more. People need to feel proud of where they live and, together, condemn all crime and violence especially towards women and girls.

“We will keep looking for other ways to get the resources and investment we need to keep working with partners like the police, to help keep local people safe.”

Swale Chief Insp Vanessa Foster said:

“Kent Police is committed to tackling anti social behaviour and ensuring those who visit, work and live in the area feel safe to do so.

“We continue to work closely with our partners, and I welcome the installation of this new call point.

“People can use this service to gain immediate assistance if they need it when in the High Street, and if the police are required, then the CCTV controllers will alert Kent Police.

“Please remember to always dial 999 in an emergency.”

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