Helping to make nights out in Southampton safer

Earlier this year, Southampton City Council secured Home Office Safer Streets 4 project funding via the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner to help tackle neighbourhood crime, anti-social behaviour and violence against women and girls

Photo courtesy of St John Ambulance.

As part of the bid, the funding will help to deliver several initiatives to reduce crime and increase safety. This includes making nights out safer by:

• Equipping entertainment venues with relevant training and toolkits to spot vulnerability, target perpetrators and prevent harassment.
• Continuing to fund security staff from GO! Southampton to carry out additional patrols to support the police.
• Increasing security presence through Safe and Well Monitors (female security staff who will specifically help women who may have become separated from friends or who may be otherwise vulnerable) and Southampton Street Pastors.
• Providing a regular ‘Safe Zone’ from St John Ambulance to support those who may be vulnerable on a night out or in need of minor medical treatment, reducing demand on the NHS.
• Having an extra CCTV operator on duty at weekends to spot suspicious, predatory behaviour.

Councillor Matt Renyard, Cabinet Member for a Safer City comments:

“With these additional measures, we hope that new and returning students, residents, and those from further afield who come into our city at night to enjoy the varied and vibrant night life that Southampton has to offer will feel safer while doing so.

“Survey data has told us that women particularly enjoying a night out can feel vulnerable, and having professional people on hand to assist when things don’t quite go to plan is an important part of what we provide as a city.

“Southampton is a great place to visit, and we are determined to also make it a safe place. Working with our partners and the two universities, GO Southampton and our Street Pastors, we are confident that Southampton will continue to be a safe destination that people can enjoy with confidence.”

Mike Sarson, spokesperson for Southampton Street Pastors said:

“We have been a constant in the night-time economy in Southampton for over 13 years and are made up of 140 volunteers who are passionate about people and keeping them safe. Our uniformed and trained patrols are out until at least 4am every Friday and Saturday night and we have dealt with thousands of people who are in need of help, from intoxication, mental health, fear of assault through to suicidal thoughts. We will always stay with a person whilst they are vulnerable until the situation is resolved and they are safe.”

St John Ambulance are urging new and returning students to be aware of the issue and to ‘look out for each other’. A St John Ambulance spokesperson said:

“University is often the first time most people have lived away from home and can often be the first time many have gone out too. We want everyone to have an amazing time but to look out for one another. Friends are really important.”

St John Ambulance shares its night safety advice to university students, including what to do if you’re spiked:

1. Keep safe by staying together when you’re out with friends.
2. Pace yourself. Keep an eye on how much you and your friends are drinking.
3. Many bars and nightclubs (and many universities) offer bottle ‘bungs’ like a cork which can prevent drinks being spiked – ask for one.
4. Don’t accept drinks from strangers, especially after you have had a few drinks.
5. If you think you or a friend has been spiked, make sure to alert bar or event staff and the police, including reporting any suspicious behaviour. Call 999 and get medical help, especially if there is a loss of consciousness, breathing difficulties, or abnormal or impaired sight.
6. If you have used recreational drugs or drunk a lot of alcohol, it’s important to tell your friends what you have taken and when and get medical help from event staff if you need it.
7. Plan your route home—book taxis or download a rideshare app if trains or buses are not running.
8. Most of all, look out for each other so you can end the night safely.

In 2021, Southampton City Council was awarded further funding focused on improving the safety of women at night and preventing violence against women and girls (VAWG) in public spaces. This includes a ‘Pop Up Safe Zones’ provided by St John Ambulance that provides a safe space and first aid area in the city centre. As a result of the Safer Streets Funding, they will return for a further 60 weekend nights, opposite the Cenotaph, between September 2022 and September 2023.

Last year (2021/2022), 90 clinical cases were treated of which 55 incidents would have otherwise needed an ambulance to be called, therefore, relieving pressure on the ambulance service.

Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones said:

“The Home Office Safer Streets fund is vital in providing local areas with the resources they need to prevent crime and keep people safe.

“Issues such as anti-social behaviour, Violence Against Women and Girls and feelings of safety cannot be resolved by police alone, they require cross sector partnership working involving a number of different agencies.

“The initiatives in Southampton aim to provide a wraparound approach to these issues to make sure those who need help, assistance or protection on a night out have access to it.

“The implementation of ‘Safe Zones,’ more female security staff, extra CCTV and targeted police patrols wouldn’t be enough on their own but working together they can make Southampton safer.”

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About Safer Streets 4 funding

• £645,645 has been awarded to Southampton by the Home Office in the fourth round of the Safer Streets funding bid to support Southampton City Council initiatives to tackle violence against women and girls, anti-social behaviour and neighbourhood crimes.
• This is part of a total of more than £1.3 million that has been awarded to the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner to support local initiatives in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight.
• The funding, secured by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, will help Southampton City Council deliver the following initiatives to reduce crime and increase safety.

For more information see Southampton secures funding to help tackle neighbourhood crime, anti-social behaviour and violence against women and girls.