Plans to make Rochester safer for girls and women
A new Kent Police initiative is taking place in Rochester High Street, for girls and women to feel safer and feel more comfortable in it.
The scheme is called ‘Safe Spaces’ and several local businesses have already signed up. The scheme ensures those shops are a place of safety for girls and women if they are feeling unwell, lost or confused or have been a victim of crime.
The blue window stickers will show people if the business is part of the scheme – the staff of the shops involved will then be asked to help women and girls if they are in trouble and to call the emergency services when relevant.
The scheme has been launched by the Medway Community Safety Partnership and the Medway Taskforce after more than £190,000 of funding was secured in October 2021.
The money has been allocated for projects running across Medway with a specific focus on Rochester and Chatham, to help keep the towns safe, especially for women and girls.
Clothing and equipment, e.g. foil blankets, flip flops and water bottles have also been given to the Medway Street Pastors to help support them when they assist people in the town at night.
A new safety initiative to help women & girls feel safer when visiting #Rochester has been launched. The scheme has been made possible through work with @medway_council and @matthewscottpcc as well as others. Read the details here: https://t.co/0FvCoqEhXO pic.twitter.com/CVXjEWzWT6
— Kent Police Medway (@KentPoliceMed) March 21, 2022
District Commander for Medway, Chief Inspector Shona Lowndes said: “The Safe Spaces scheme ensures that anyone who needs help knows they can walk into a local business where they can feel secure and confident that they are safe and will be assisted appropriately when needed“.
The Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott commented: “I’m proud we secured funding for this wonderful Safer Streets Project.
“Not only are we making people feel safer in their ton centres with extra patrols, but with the help of local businesses we’re able to provide places people can go should they feel vulnerable. it really is a community partnership.”
Featured image credit – Kent Police twitter