News on Lambeth Safer Streets

Today is International Women’s Day – a global day to mark the celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The theme for this year’s IWD is ‘embrace equity’. Equity is vital to create inclusive public spaces where women and girls are safe and free of the fear of violence and intimidation.

To mark the occasion, we wanted to update you on the progress of our Home Office funded Safer Streets work. In partnership with Southwark Council, we have rolled out a series of practical interventions to increase safety and feelings of safety for women and girls. Informed by crime data mapping, we have focused on improving safety and partnership working along the borders between our two boroughs in relation to violence against women and girls incidents.

Specialist Community Wardens

Lambeth’s public protection team has received specialist violence against women and girls (VAWG) training and we have recruited a new team of dedicated VAWG and Antisocial Behaviour Wardens. This team will continue to use data from our Commonplace Safer Streets Survey to inform their activities, as well as mobilising around the night-time economy and key events across the borough throughout the calendar year.

CCTV

Our CCTV control room has been staffed with dedicated violence against women and girls operatives, ensuring our work in this area is prioritised. We continue to work closely with the police, assisting in the response to a range of VAWG offences. Additional CCTV cameras have also been deployed across our target areas.

Specialist VAWG Training for Security Staff

In partnership with local Business Improvement Districts, we are offering specialist VAWG training to a range of security professionals. The training, designed and delivered by our partners Good Night Out Campaign, upskills professionals to respond safely and appropriately to street-based harassment and violence against women and girls.

Safe Havens

Lambeth and Southwrak Councils have committed to establishing 40 Safe Havens at businesses/premises in known harassment hotspots where women and other vulnerable people can access safety and support when in need at night-time. We have now recruited our first Safe Haven sites and staff are undergoing bespoke training with Safer Business Network, a crime reduction agency.

Staff within the Safe Haven will offer support to anyone who feels unsafe or has been harassed, including helping organise safe transport home or calling family, friends or the police. The premises will display the Safe Haven Logo in their window and assistance will be available within.

Look out for Lambeth Campaign

Finally, in November 2022 we re-launched our ‘Look out for Lambeth’ anti-harassment campaign. Adverts targeting men and boys focus on changing behaviours and attitudes to women, making it clear who is responsible to address the issue. Adverts also encourage women to report on street harassment and other forms of violence against women and girls via our Commonplace site. Visit lambethsaferstreets.commonplace.

Our Safer Streets work builds on the commitments set out in our third violence against women and girls strategy, which was published in 2021 and sets out how the council will work with partners on the issue until 2027. You can find out more about our strategy here.