Town centre measures to improve safety of women and girls
22nd November 2023
Improving the safety of women and girls in Reading town centre is at the heart of a raft of new security measures revealed by Reading Borough Council with support from Reading Business Improvement District (BID).
The boost to the number of CCTV cameras and streetlights, and a Thames Valley Police initiative to identify potential predatory offenders, are among the measures introduced to make women and girls feel safer and support the town centre’s night-time economy.
The improvements are in locations which have been identified as places where our partners and residents, particularly women and girls, feel vulnerable using certain walking routes, streets and car parks. Reducing incidents of theft and anti-social behaviour is also set to be tackled by the safety measures.
The significant improvements to safety include:
- Nine new CCTV cameras in locations where residents said they felt less safe, including Friar Street, Chain Street, Oxford Road and Queen’s Road car park
- 12 new streetlights, including along Queen’s Road and Station Road, and the addition of festoon lighting along Chain Street and Union Street
- The establishment of the new Reading Safe Space (safe hub) where people who feel threatened, vulnerable or unwell can go for help and support
- Creation of the MyWay Reading phone app, to help advise women the safest routes to be using late at night
- Cleaner and more attractive areas and providing better spaces for the public
The improvements have been made possible through a working partnership between the Council, Thames Valley Police, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and Reading’s Business Improvement District (BID) which resulted in £429,000 of Safer Streets funding from the Home Office to improve town centre safety.
Thames Valley Police regularly operates Project Vigilant to identify the signs of predatory behaviour, such as sexual harassment, inappropriate touching, and loitering. This sees uniformed and plain-clothed officers patrolling outside night clubs, bars, and pubs to make women and girls feel safer and deter crime.
A Safer Students Partnership has also been created with the University of Reading and Reading College. As well as free safety advice and tools, the Partnership will provide bystander intervention training to ensure students know how to safely help someone who may be in trouble.
If you're a victim of violence, abuse or intimidation, or know someone who is, you can contact police and partner agencies.
