Community safety projects will benefit Picton and improve late night safety for female students on buses

Picton is to benefit from a share of almost £1 million of Government cash which Liverpool City Council has secured to improve community safety, tackle anti-social behaviour and improve relationships between students and local residents.

The funding has been secured from a joint bid with Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell from the Home Office’s Safer Streets Fund.

It will see £390,000 spent improving and upgrading street lighting, repairing alleygates, and introducing security equipment to improve the safety of residents.

Communal bins will be introduced to prevent burglars gaining access to the rear of properties through unlocked alleygates.

The project team will also work with the universities on a communication campaign focused on increasing crime prevention awareness and helping to integrate the student population with residents’ associations and community groups.

A further £576,000 has been secured to expand the Safer Streets Liverpool campaign to tackle Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) and improve women’s feelings of safety, particularly around the public transport network.

It will see an increased uniformed presence around transport hubs in Liverpool city centre until the early hours on Friday, Saturday and dedicated student nights on the main bus route used by young people, the introduction of 21 CCTV cameras along the route. There will also be the development of safe spaces in transport hubs in the city centre. Student volunteers similar to ‘street pastors’ will provide support to those who need it, such as helping people get home or providing emotional support.

An education programme targeted at Primary Schools across will be used to help change attitudes and influence behaviour, as well as a programme targeted at adults to change and challenge misogynistic and stereotypical language.

The new funding will also be used to roll out the campaign’s educational programmes and marketing campaign to all areas of the region.

Mayor Joanne Anderson said: “Improving safety in our neighbourhoods and tackling violence against women and girls are both huge priorities and I am delighted we have secured this funding.

“We have already had success tackling offences due to the Safer Streets Liverpool campaign, and the additional work we are planning will provide a reassuring presence to students on the way home.

“It is vital that we don’t just challenge behaviour but also seek to change it, which is why the education element is so important.”

Cabinet member for neighbourhoods, Cllr Abdul Qadir, said: “We are determined to address issues in the Picton ward, particularly around anti-social behaviour, burglary and help improve the relationship between students and residents.

“We hope that by installing additional security measures and supporting the local community we can start to improve the situation.

“This is in addition to other measures in the area such as holding landlords to account through our Landlord Licensing scheme and limiting the number of new HMOs.”

The remaining funding will be used to improve community safety on the Primrose Court housing estate in Huyton.

Merseyside’s Police Commissioner Emily Spurrell said: “I am overjoyed we have secured this huge cash investment totalling £1,336,490 for these three much-needed projects aimed at improving safety in key areas across our region.

“Picton is another area of our region which has unfortunately been plagued by issues in recent years, particularly burglaries.

“Using this major cash boost, we can look to put some long-term measures in place relatively quickly and easily that will make a genuine difference, helping to cut crime and improve the safety of local people.

“No-one should feel unsafe in their home or the area where they live. We’ve seen the success previous Safer Streets projects have had in other parts of Merseyside, like Birkenhead and the Flower Streets of Kirkdale, so I’m really hopeful we can change things for the better.

“I’m also thrilled that we’ve secured such a huge investment to expand our very successful Safer Streets Liverpool campaign across the whole of Merseyside.

“Women and girls told us they feel mot unsafe using public transport at night, and this two-pronged campaign is really focused on responding to their concerns. Using practical solutions such as CCTV, a text message reporting service and bystander training, as well as education programmes and a high-profile marketing campaign, we want to prevent and tackle sexual violence and ensure every woman feels safer and is safer.”

Today’s announcement brings the total funding secured from the Safer Streets Fund for the region to almost £3m.