StreetSafe is a pilot service for anyone to anonymously tell the police about public places where they have felt or feel unsafe, because of environmental issues, e.g. street lighting, abandoned buildings or vandalism and/or because of some behaviours, e.g. being followed or verbally abused.
Please note: ‘StreetSafe’ is not for reporting crime or incidents.
What is StreetSafe
As part of the government’s strategy to tackle Violence against Women and Girls, the Home Office has developed a new online tool called StreetSafe on police.uk www.police.uk/streetsafe to enable people, particularly women and girls, to pin-point locations where they feel or have felt unsafe and to identify the features that made them feel unsafe.
StreetSafe has been developed by the Digital Public Contact (DPC) Programme in cooperation with the Home Office and the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC). It is not a means for crime reporting to the police. This has been confirmed by the National Crime Registrar for the purposes of the pilot and users will be directed to the right channels and guidance, including online crime reporting services, 101 and 999, should they need to report an incident.
What data is captured and how will it be used
The data collected will be anonymous and will focus on particular locations and factors that lead to people feeling unsafe and/or might help offenders either commit or conceal a crime – such as street lighting, abandoned buildings or poorly designed spaces, vandalism, as well as behaviours of individuals or groups of people. The data is intended, alongside the other information Police have access to, to enhance and enrich the understanding of local communities’ concerns and our neighbourhoods. Users will not be asked any questions about their identity but there will be optional questions related to crime reporting and protected characteristics, such as age, sex & ethnicity.
If something has happened to you or someone you know (including in public spaces online) you can call 101 or find out what online reporting services are available.
If you’re unsure whether something is a crime or not, read the police advice.