Safer Streets 4 Project

Ipswich Borough Council, in partnership with Suffolk Constabulary, Suffolk Police and Crime Commissioner, Ipswich Central and Suffolk County Council, have been successful in receiving funding totalling £499,588.00 to deliver training, increase resource and purchase equipment to challenge perception and increase confidence in the bid area. The area selected for this bid includes the Waterfront, the Town Centre, Education Quarter and the Train Station. Actions include;

• Extending the Ask for Angela campaign wider in the town
• Developing a charter for Night Time Economy businesses and accrediting those that meet a set of safety requirements
• Dedicated Police patrols during key night time economy operating hours
• Welfare training for NTE venue staff, Taxi drivers and Taxi Marshals
• 26 new or improved CCTV cameras across the Town
• Additional Body Worn Cameras for door staff at NTE venues
• A Crimestoppers campaign to encourage the anonymous reporting of crime and encouraging the public to challenge perpetrators
• Street meet and engagement events within the project area including partner agencies such as the Police and IBC’s Community Safety and ASB teams to carry out surveys and engage with the public
• Distributing personal safety alarms
• Improving the look of the project area with new bins, deep cleaning, fly tipping removal and removing vegetation
• Arranging clean up days with IBC Waste & Cleansing teams and stakeholders

The following actions have been completed so far:

• updated 11 of the 34 camera upgrades. 26 new cameras will be new installations or upgrades plus support to a further 8 cameras with part funding
• attended 6 Fresher events at Suffolk New College, Suffolk Rural College, One College and the University of Suffolk, distributing materials and having discussions with students.
• held a night-time engagement event with the Police, local Councillors, the MP, the Police and Crime Commissioner and Ipswich Central, engaging with venue staff and discussing safety initiatives.  
• 'Ask for Angela' materials and information are being distributed to more venues.
• first focus clean-up day undertaken at St Peters Church and Stoke Bridge on the 28 September.

You can view, print and download a suite of 12 landscape Safer Streets 4 posters below:

• Safer Streets 4 - Report It PDF and JPEG
  
• Safer Streets 4 - Enough PDF and JPEG
• Safer Streets 4 - See something, take action PDF and JPEG
• Safer Streets 4 - No to abuse PDF and JPEG
• Safer Streets 4 - Speak up PDF and JPEG
• Safer Streets 4 - Stop harrassment PDF and JPEG
  
• Safer Streets 4 - Stop violence against women PDF and JPEG
• Safer Streets 4 - Not Acceptable to spike drinks PDF and JPEG
• Safer Streets 4 - Not Acceptable to take photos without consent PDF and JPEG
• Safer Streets 4 - Pressure PDF and JPEG
• Safer Streets 4 - Suggestive comments PDF and JPEG
• Safer Streets 4 - Uncomfortable PDF and JPEG
• Safer Streets 4 - Be Kind JPEG

Portrait versions of Safer Streets 4 posters can also be found below:

• Safer Streets 4 - Stop violence against women JPEG
• Safer Streets 4 - Not Acceptable to make someone feel uncomfortable JPEG
• Safer Streets 4 - Not Acceptable to Spike drinks JPEG
• Safer Streets 4 - Speak up JPEG
• Safer Streets 4 - Report It JPEG
• Safer Streets 4 - Not acceptable to take photos without consent JPEG
• Safer Streets 4 - Stop harassment JPEG
• Safer Streets 4 - See something, take action JPEG
• Safer Streets 4 - Enough JPEG
• Safer Streets 4 - Suggestive comments JPEG
• Safer Streets 4 - No to abuse JPEG

Information about Ipswich Taxi Marshals can be found here

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for the Waterfront Taxi Rank trial can be found here

Safer Streets 3 Project

Safer Streets 3 is a government initiative, aiming to work across multiple departments, teams and organisations to improve the safety of public places. As part of the government’s Safer Streets Round 3 Fund, the Council bid for and was successfully awarded £124,391.

The core aim of the project was to reduce violence against women and girls (VAWG) and increase women and girls’ feelings of safety in public spaces, through the implementation and delivery of a number of initiatives and actions. In general, there is an expectation that the measures will deter crime and reduce anti-social behaviour, therefore helping residents, visitors to the area and business owners feel reassured and safer when out and about. 

Actions

• Awareness campaign

Messaging in and around the Norwich Road area was installed to spread awareness and encourage people to report crimes they see, to make the area safer. We wanted to reach members of the community and make them feel part of this initiative, so they can help to bring about change. The extensive campaign ran alongside a Crimestoppers campaign throughout February and March.

• Eight CCTV cameras installed

The cameras will monitor activity along Norwich Road between Valley Rd and Civic Drive with three at Barrack Corner. The locations were identified by the Police as the best sites for the cameras and they will be monitored by the Council’s 24-hour Emergency Control Centre. The cameras are funded from the 

The introduction of greater surveillance will help to deter crime and reduce anti-social behaviour and so help residents, visitors to the area and business owners feel reassured and safer when out and about. These cameras were just one of the measures being put in place to make women and girls, in particular, feel safer in the area.

• Personal safety alarms and self-defence classes

• Rolled out the ‘Ask for Angela’ campaign to businesses

• Replaced the safety mirrors in the St Matthew’s Street subway

• Installed new waste bins

• Removed flyposting along Norwich Road

• Held Community engagement events with the Police and IBC Community departments carrying out a survey with the public to gain views of safety in the area

Survey

Complete our survey to share your views on how you feel about and what you have experienced when visiting the Norwich Road area. We welcome your feedback.

Complete the survey

Responses to the project being awarded 

Cllr Alasdair Ross, Ipswich Borough Council’s Portfolio Holder for Community Protection, said: “Sarah Everard’s tragic death on 3 March 2021 and the devastating details that have come to light since have highlighted public concerns nationally about the safety of women and children in public places and our bid for further Safer Streets funding focusses on how we can address those fears locally to ensure that everyone feels safer on Ipswich’s streets. I’m very pleased that we have been successful in winning the money and will now be able to introduce changes that will help address the general feelings of unsafety among women and girls in the town. It’s a great win and the council has won because of its continued work with partners and the public. It’s a victory for us all.”

Tim Passmore, Suffolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner, said: “I am absolutely delighted that this bid for additional Government funding has been successful, it’s great news for Ipswich. This Safer Streets money will make a tangible difference to the safety of everyone in the Norwich Road area, with the addition of CCTV for example. I hope this significant investment and our particular focus on improving women and girls’ perceptions of safety in public places will also help improve confidence in the area. Policing has an important part to play in protecting women and girls from violence but we will only make a difference if we take a partnership approach to working with the local community, businesses and residents which is exactly what this project will do.”