Police have placed extra patrols on the streets after reports on StreetSafe
(Picture: Met Police)The Met Police has placed extra patrols on London’s streets after thousands of women reported feeling unsafe in public areas.
The force received more than 3,000 reports to their StreetSafe online reporting tool which enables the public to say where in the capital they feel unsafe.
Almost three-quarters of reports came from women.
The majority of the 3,272 reports relate to poor street lighting and CCTV coverage, but included reports of men verbally harassing women.
The large majority of hotspot areas are in and around town centres and transport hubs.
Scotland Yard said it had placed violence against women and girls (VAWG) patrols in Croydon town centre after frequent reports of wolf whistling, women and schoolgirls being harassed, and street drinkers.
This led to a decrease in VAWG related calls to the police to those specific areas.
Now, in response to reports raised, “similar activity” is taking place right across London, said officers.
Superintendent Andy Brittain, the Met’s lead for StreetSafe, said: “It is fantastic that so many people, both men and women, have taken the time to use StreetSafe to report their concerns about places where they feel unsafe.”
He added: “This is just one part of our firm commitment to rebuilding the trust and confidence and tackling violence against women and girls.
“I want Londoners to know that we are listening to their concerns and we are acting on them.”
Launched by the Home Office in September 2021, StreetSafe is a national reporting tool which lets members of the public anonymously report issues which make them feel unsafe such as poor street lighting.
When a StreetSafe report about an area in a particular borough is made, this is passed to a designated police officer in that area so local patrols can be made.
While officers have urged people to use the tool, they have stressed it is not for reporting crime.
