Safer Streets combating VAWG
Published
Monday 25 November, 2024
Updated
Monday 25 November, 2024
Swale Borough Council are promoting White Ribbon Day and are highlighting their Safer Streets initiative, which aims to tackle antisocial behaviour and violence against women and girls in Sheerness and Sittingbourne.
The awareness day is used to encourage men to hold themselves accountable to women, and to each other, to affect positive behaviour change, transform harmful cultures and promote gender equality.
The White Ribbon campaign calls for men to address their attitudes and behaviours that contribute to a fear of violence for women in their day-to-day lives.
Through their Safer Streets project the council provided active bystander training to over 300 people, including courses which allow people to train others, which allow them to identify and deal with negative situations and teach them to keep themselves and those around them safe.
This includes giving people the tools to call out, and intervene when they witness, negative behaviour such as violence against women and girls in a safe way.
Safer Streets also funded crime prevention merchandise, including 500 personal alarms, 1,000 cup covers and 1,000 bottle covers.
The personal alarms have been handed out through youth clubs, Kent Police, and charities, including ones that deal with domestic abuse.
Whilst the anti-spiking goods have been distributed to night-time economy venues via the Kent Police.
The alarms create a loud shrill sound, when the panic button is pressed, that disorientates and shocks attackers allowing the user an opportunity to escape and also alerts those nearby that someone needs assistance.
Cllr Tom Nundy, White Ribbon Ambassador, and chair of the Community Safety Partnership, said:
“We want everyone to feel safe in Sheerness and Sittingbourne Town Centres, especially women and girls who often face violence and harassment.
“This White Ribbon Day we are highlighting some of the work we have been doing to try to tackle this and gives us an opportunity to spread awareness and work together to make a positive change.
“Spiking is absolutely unacceptable and has no place in our community, so sharing these covers to pubs and clubs will help people keep themselves safe.
“But for there to be real change men have to keep themselves and the others around them accountable to women, we need to challenge our friends on their unacceptable behaviour, we have to speak up.”
Cllr Elliott Jayes, vice chair of the Community Committee, said:
“Our Safer Streets project has been helping tackle violence against women and girls through active intervention, such as our marshals, and preventative measures like additional CCTV.
“We understand that other areas in Swale would have benefited from these measures too, but the strict criteria meant in order to get this funding our bid had to be very targeted.
“The council are always looking for more funding opportunities, like the Safer Streets Fund, to bring about positive change across the borough.”
In addition to crime prevention merchandising, the council’s Safer Streets project is also implementing other measures to help people feel safe in the towns, such as:
· installing additional CCTV cameras in both Sheerness and Sittingbourne
· deploying unformed marshals
· improving lighting in open spaces such as the four extra solar lights in the Beachfields play area
· funding youth programmes
· 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
· 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.
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