Leicestershire Police supports campaign to end violence against women
Today (25 November) marks White Ribbon Day
Leicestershire Police is supporting a campaign to highlight and end male violence against women.
It comes as today (25 November) marks White Ribbon Day and the start of 16 days of action.
The campaign sets out to raise awareness of violent and controlling behaviour and asks that people make a pledge to “never commit, excuse or remain silent about male violence against women”.
Leicestershire Police is encouraging people to use the ‘StreetSafe’ tool, which is a pilot service for people to anonymously tell the police about public places where they have felt or feel unsafe.
That could be because of environmental issues, e.g. street lighting, abandoned buildings or vandalism and/or because of people’s behaviour e.g. someone is being verbally abusive or acting inappropriately.
Making the report creates data that forces analyse to identify and act upon areas that are cause for concern.
Also launching today is the force's Safer Routes initiative which aims to improve women’s feelings of safety when returning home from town in the West and Central Leicester Neighbourhood Policing Areas.
It will see dedicated double crew foot patrols on the main pedestrian routes into and out of the city centre.
Sergeant Shauna Ashton explains more about it:
The force's Chief Officer overseeing domestic abuse, Assistant Chief Constable Julia Debenham, said:
"We are very pleased to support White Ribbon day and to raise awareness about this very serious issue.
"Domestic abuse and violence is unacceptable irrespective of the circumstances that surround it.
"The impact of domestic violence is devastating and as a force, Leicestershire Police remain dedicated to tackling violence against women and girls.
"Please report it to us if you are the victim or suspect it might be happening to someone you know.
"It’s also important that people know about the vast amounts of support available and where to access it which White Ribbon Day is really successful at doing."
Resources and support available
The ‘Ask for Ani’ scheme has been running since January.
Victims can go into 2,300 Boots pharmacies and more than 250 independent chemists and ‘ask for Ani’ – the ANI acronym stands for ‘Action Needed Immediately.’
They are then taken to a private room by a trained member of the pharmacy team to enable them to contact the police or relevant support services in private and in safety.
‘Ask for Angela’ is a similar initiative which has been running since 2016 and is used in bars and social venues.
‘Angela’ is a codeword for anyone who feels unsafe or if they are in danger.
They can speak to bar staff and ‘Ask for Angela’, the staff then discretely help them by calling them a taxi or helping them find a safe space to wait for their friends.
Further information about domestic abuse, including how to make a report, can be found online.
People can also find out more about the services provided by United Against Violence & Abuse online, while more information about White Ribbon Day can be found here.