Our Community Safety and Environmental Protection teams have supported coordinated safety operations in the city centre focussing on vehicle checks and night-time personal safety.
On Friday, 5 December, in Cross Keys and Birmingham Road, Staffordshire Police, the Driver and Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) and Motor Insurance Bureau inspected vehicles for roadworthiness and checked insurance compliance.
Of the 40 vehicles that were checked one was seized for having no insurance and the driver was reported for not driving in accordance with a license and for being uninsured. Some advisory notices were given for vehicle defects.
Later Lichfield District Community Safety Partnership hosted a gazebo on Bird Street, supported by the Pathway Project and Staffordshire Police.
The focus was personal safety and violence against women and girls (VAWG), with engagement around key campaigns, including:
- Ask for Angela – allows anyone, who may be feeling threatened or unsafe while on a date, to approach a premises’ bar to seek help by asking for 'Angela'.
- Make No Excuses – Staffordshire Violence Reduction Alliance Campaign to support, advise and educate against harassment.
- HollieGuard - sends any raised alerts to nominated emergency contacts, free of charge.
- StreetSafe - enables members of the public to anonymously pinpoint public places on a map where they have felt or feel unsafe and identify environmental or behavioural factors about those locations that make them feel this way.
- Anti-spiking awareness - items given out to prevent drink spiking.
Officers spoke with women about where to get help, how to report concerns, and the ways the local community can support safer nights out.
Councillor Richard Cox, Cabinet Member for Community and Public Protection, said:
“We want everyone enjoying Lichfield’s nightlife to feel confident, supported, and safe.
“This type of joint operation demonstrates how effective multi-agency working can be in achieving this and it is pleasing to note that there has been a fall in the number of vehicles failing the checks.
“It is also important to reassure and offer guidance to people out enjoying themselves in Lichfield city centre.
“By bringing specialist teams together, we were able to identify issues quickly, support enforcement partners, and help maintain high safety standards across our district.”