A help point has been installed at Newcastle city centre park as part of an effort to improve women's safety.
Members of the public can press the help button in Leazes Park which links directly to Newcastle City Council’s control room and its 24/7 live CCTV. It means that an emergency response can be summoned immediately.
The help point, located at the park's gate on Barrack Road, has been funded by Police and Crime Commissioner Kim McGuinness’ Safer Parks initiative which aims to deliver solutions to address concerns raised by women in the North East. The Police and Crime Commissioner has teamed up with Newcastle City Council and Urban Green Newcastle to introduce the technology to help reassure park users and deter potential perpetrators from committing unacceptable behaviour.
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Ms McGuinness said: “As a woman, I know, and I understand the fears and concerns we all have when we pop our running shoes on or walk home through the park when it gets dark. It shouldn’t be like that but that’s the world we live in.
"If there are things we can do to improve people’s safety and make parks feel more comfortable, we must do them. Leazes is a popular park right in the heart of our city and I don’t want anything to stand in people’s way from getting out there and enjoying it.
“This help point shows we have listened, and we are acting on women’s concerns and suggestions. The help point is just one example of a range of solutions being rolled out to reassure people of the help that’s available to them."
Ms McGuinness has pledged more than £2m to make public spaces safer and unveiled a host of plans to create safer environments for women in the region. As well as wanting to see more police patrols, volunteers and wardens, work is underway to improve sightlines across vegetation in parks.
Plans are also underway to roll out behaviour change interventions - aimed particularly at men and boys - which would ‘challenge the behaviour of individuals that make women feel unsafe’.
Ms McGuinness said: "The more we do to create safer, inclusive environments and change harmful attitudes and behaviours, the better, and I will keep on with the fight for more funding and more positive change.”
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