A new emergency contact point was installed in Court Street, Leamington Spa thanks to the Safer Streets funding which was secured by the OPCC and county partners.
Officials from across Warwickshire have launched two new safety call points in Leamington as part of the Safer Streets campaign, launched in 2021.
Following a consultation with residents and community groups, the new call points were installed on Brunswick Street and Court Street. Two further call points were upgraded in High Street and Clemens Street.
The call points, which are easy to operate and manned by the Warwick District Council CCTV operation, are available to anyone to help increase feelings of safety.
Cllr Andy Crump, Portfolio Holder for Community Safety at Warwickshire County Council said: “The safety of residents is paramount. The call points are one part of a wider safety initiative that involves partners and agencies from across the county. The link between the call points, the CCTV operation and the Police will reinforce the message to perpetrators that you will be prosecuted and any criminal or anti-social behaviour will be met with the full force of the law.”
Councillor Judy Falp, Portfolio Holder for Health and Community Protection at WDC: “These call points offer a vital point of contact for the public to our 24/7 CCTV control room, allowing us to quickly react to incidents and liaise with partners to ensure the safety of our residents. I’m pleased to see more of these points installed, helping people feel safe when out and about in the District.”
Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe said: “Ensuring women and girls are not only safe but also feel safe in our town centres is vital. While our streets are in the main safe places to be, there are still areas where people feel vulnerable and we’ve been listening to the feedback from residents on where targeted interventions are needed. The new call points in Brunswick Street and Court Street provide an easy way for the public to ask for help should they need it, while also acting as a deterrent to perpetrators, who will realise that CCTV and police will quickly react to incidents. Along with the other measures being funded through our successful bid to the Government’s Safer Streets fund, this should provide reassurance that our streets and town centres are safe for everyone.”
Alongside the launch of the call points, the Safer Streets team have also released a short demonstration film to show how the points work in a given scenario:
For more information about Safer Streets please go to www.safeinwarwickshire.com/safer-streets.
For access to support services please go to www.safeinwarwickshire.com/support.
