Met officers use StreetSafe to help make London safer
The Met has received more than 3,000 StreetSafe reports since the national online reporting tool was launched by the Home Office, with officers acting swiftly on reports to make London’s streets safer for everyone.
Launched in September 2021, StreetSafe is an online reporting tool that enables people to anonymously report public places where they feel unsafe because of poor street lighting or other environmental issues, or because of the behaviour of people in those areas – for example, if they have been harassed by a group of people or feeling like they have been followed.
Since September 2021 when StreetSafe was launched, 3,272 reports have been submitted through StreetSafe to the Met.
Of those, almost three quarters (73%) have come from women. The majority of reports relate to poor street lighting and lack of CCTV coverage, and there have been hundreds of reports relating to verbal harassment, and signs of drug use and supply. The large majority of hotspot areas are in and around town centres and transport hubs.
The information has led to police targeting patrols and operations in hotspot areas, and these have led to arrests for a range of offences – from public order and anti-social behaviour offences, to drug-related crime and violence.
In Croydon, for example, more targeted patrols have been deployed in the town centre as a result of StreetSafe reports. In response to street drinkers, wolf whistling and women and schoolgirls being harassed, extra violence against women and girls (VAWG) patrols were put in place and this has led to a decrease in VAWG related calls to the police, to those specific areas flagged. In response to reports raised, similar activity is taking place right across London.
Operation Verona is another way in which StreetSafe reports are being actioned in the Met. The Violent Crime Taskforce coordinate officers across London in using the reports to better understand key issues in communities and put in place suitable activity in response.
Officers work together with partners to explore how to make identified areas of concern safer for all. As part of Op Verona, officers regularly patrol alongside community volunteers, giving a reassuring presence while engaging with the wider community and licensed premises.
Superintendent Andy Brittain, who is 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.
“Local policing teams are already using this valuable information about very specific locations to target anti-social behaviour and other issues that communities have told us about.
“We are refining how we make the most of the rich source of information and translating it into making public places safer.
“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. StreetSafe is helping us work smarter and better.
“We would urge people to continue to use StreetSafe – it is helping us respond quickly to community concerns, and make communities safer for everyone.”
Safeguarding Minister Rachel Maclean, said: “It is vital that people feel safe on the streets of our capital, especially women and girls.
“The StreetSafe tool, announced as part of our Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, enables the public to anonymously report areas where they feel unsafe. I am pleased that the Met are listening to people’s concerns and acting on these reports to make our communities safer and more inclusive.”
Responsibility for policing the capital’s local communities falls to 12 Basic Command Units (BCUs), each of which covers the geographical area of two or three borough areas.
When a StreetSafe report about an area in a particular borough is made, this is passed to the BCU’s designated point of contact for StreetSafe and they share it more widely, so it can be used to inform local patrols and targeted VAWG activity.
The information is also fed into community engagement meetings, so we can discuss with local authorities and other partners how we can collectively deal with the issues raised.
+ ‘StreetSafe’ is not for reporting crime or incidents – these should be reported via 101 or online. In an emergency, always dial 999.
Further information about StreetSafe is available at www.police.uk/streetsafe.
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