The Safer Streets 5 project focuses on crime prevention and providing a safer environment for residents and visitors in Mansfield town centre. The initiative’s aims are to provide better CCTV provisions, provide a guardianship scheme to keep people safer in the evening, and establish youth intervention to educate young people at risk of violence by providing activities.
This has been made possible after the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner secured £1m of Home Office funding via the Safer Streets fund aimed at tackling antisocial behaviour, neighbourhood crime, and violence against women and girls across the county.
CCTV
As part of the project, we are improving and increasing the number of security cameras and facilities in the town centre to include new HD CCTV cameras and state-of-the-art refuge point cameras. Investments include:
- Two multi-sensor cameras on Walkden Street and another on Stockwell Gate. Each of these installations comprises five individual cameras to provide 360-degree coverage, recording high-definition, full colour footage around the clock. The angle and focus of one camera in each of the locations can be adjusted to enable more focused observations as and when needed.
- PA speakers are to be added to CCTV cameras in Walkden Street that will allow CCTV operators to communicate directly with people in the vicinity to disrupt and deter violence and antisocial behaviour.
- Safe Points in West Gate and Clumber Street have intercom buttons that allow people to communicate 24/7 with Mansfield District Council’s CCTV operators in cases of emergency. They will be white in colour to make them stand out and be accessible for deaf and disabled people.
- Work to trim trees and foliage to improve lighting and visibility.
Guardianship Scheme
Improved guardianship will be implemented to keep people even safer on a night out in Mansfield.
The scheme will be delivered in partnership with St John Ambulance to set up a project similar to ‘Operation Vigilant’, which began in Dorset, which will involve offering first aid when needed and providing water.
The ‘street guardians’ are trained to spot the signs and prevent violence against women and girls in the town centre.
The scheme will also look to reinvigorate the 'Ask For Angela' campaign with renewed advertising and promotional materials. The scheme allows women who feel unsafe to discretely approach venue staff and ‘Ask For Angela’ to be given help.
Youth Intervention Scheme
This scheme aims to engage with and educate young people in the town centre at risk of violence or antisocial behaviour by providing youth activities to change young people’s behaviours.
This project is being delivered by Switch Up, an award-winning organisation that has successfully produced results in the district in other projects to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour. Outreach workers will work closely with council’s Community Safety Officers.
Since the start of this project, Switch Up youth outreach workers have been engaging with young people who are gathering in the Market Place, offering them opportunities, and supporting them into provisions across Mansfield. The team is focused on getting young people involved in sports or other activities that could help unlock talents and interests they never knew they had, instead of potentially getting involved in antisocial or criminal behaviour.