A new app is being piloted to help the police make everyone, particularly women and girls, feel more safe.

Launched by the Government Home Office, the Street Safe app allows women to anonymously flag up the areas where they feel unsafe.

Makers behind the app say areas can feel unsafe due to environmental issues such as poor lighting, abandoned buildings, or vandalism, or due to behaviours, such as being followed or verbally abused.

These factors may help offenders either commit or conceal a crime.

Police will then be able to use the logged information to make improvements to unsafe areas, which could include installing CCTV, street lighting or introducing night-time patrols.

The app asks users to log the location and the reason why they felt unsafe, with extra optional questions to help the police understand the experience.

The data will be made available to Police and Crime Commissioners and local policing teams to improve on their understanding of geographical profiles and inform their community safety activities.

As the app is currently a pilot, creators will be continually consulting and developing it for future use.

Street Safe is supported by the UK police and has been developed with the UK Home Office and the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC).

However, the app is only to report unsafe areas.

To report a crime, call 101, or to report a crime in Wiltshire, visit: https://wiltshire.police.uk/ro/report

If the situation could get heated or violent very soon, or if someone is in immediate danger, call 999.

 

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