Intercoms will be installed in three locations in Cardiff to provide residents with direct access to the police and emergency workers if they feel threatened or unsafe. The 'street help points' are part of a series of initiatives to be delivered across Cardiff and Bridgend, which aim to keep women safe, reduce neighbourhood crime and prevent anti-social behaviour.
South Wales Police & Crime Commissioner Alun Michael and local organisations - including Cardiff Council, Bridgend Council, South Wales Fire & Rescue, Welsh Women’s Aid, and South Wales Police - collaborated to secure almost £1.5m from the Home Office's Safer Street's fund to deliver the initiatives.
Bridgend will receive £749,215.50 from the funding, while Cardiff will be allocated £749,652.85. Other new approaches the money be used for include:
- Expanding the South Wales Police Safety Bus project supporting vulnerable people in the night-time economy
- Installing new street-based CCTV cameras in key locations across Cardiff and Bridgend
- Updating lighting in targeted underpasses
- Supporting the delivery of a Cardiff Women’s Safety Charter
- Expanding the number of ‘Safe Places’ across Cardiff & Bridgend where people can seek help and refuge if they feel threatened or intimidated
- Rolling out Mobile Youth Unit Vehicles and equipment to enhance youth engagement through the delivery of meaningful activities in anti-social behaviour hotspots
South Wales Police & Crime Commissioner Alun Michael said: "This money will be invested in making the streets of Cardiff and Bridgend safer for women and girls, as well as reducing the impact of anti-social behaviour across our communities.
"Preventing violence against women and girls has always been a specific priority for me as Commissioner and while we have done a lot to tackle the issue in South Wales, it remains one of the biggest problems we face and we must always strive to do more if we are to significantly reduce the intimidation and harassment experienced by women and girls across our communities."
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