Feel unsafe in a public place? Use StreetSafe!

Birmingham City Centre local policing teams are urging the public to tell them about public locations they don’t feel safe in.

The government is trialling a new online tool which lets members of the public anonymously pinpoint on a map the locations where they don’t feel safe.

The tool is available on the Police UK website: www.police.uk/streetsafe The website is secure and completely anonymous.

StreetSafe has been introduced as part of the government’s response to tackling violence against women and girls, but it should also be used to identify areas where there are fears caused by other things such as anti-social behaviour and environmental issues. For example, poor street lighting, abandoned vehicles and vandalism.

Anyone who has concerns about a particular location is encouraged to flag it through the StreetSafe tool. This information will be considered alongside the extensive evidence base already gathered by the police and used to inform the community safety activities of police and partner agencies such as local authorities. For instance this might include improved streetlighting, increased vigilance by Community Watch groups or additional scrutiny from neighbourhood policing teams.

The online StreetSafe tool is very easy to use, and includes a short series of sections to complete, with guidance every step of the way. You cannot enter descriptions of what concerns you in your own words, and this is a good thing: if you need to provide this level of detail then you may need to contact the police directly. To pinpoint the area of concern, you can place a pin in the online map or enter the location.

The more people that use the StreetSafe tool, the better the assessment of the information gathered. Please use it.

No crime needs to have been committed in order to indicate where you feel unsafe, and it is important to remember that the StreetSafe tool should not be used to report crimes.

If something has happened to you or someone you know (including in public spaces online) you can call the police on 101 or find out what online reporting services are available. 

If you’re unsure whether something is a crime or not, read our advice. 

If you feel someone is in immediate danger and needs support right away please call 999 straight away.