Thousands of students arriving in Leeds are being made to feel safe and secure as police, university security staff and student volunteers join forces for this year’s Walksafe campaign. A dozen years ago this was a cover story of Professional Security magazine.
Each year neighbourhood policing team officers and security officers promote a safe environment for the estimated 60,000-plus students arriving in the area in the autumn weeks. This year the bus operators First, have provided a ‘haven’ bus that will be parked in Headingley and also near the main University of Leeds campus.
It will provide a base for representatives from the police, Safer Leeds, Street Angels, and health agencies who will be on hand to offer advice and practical help to students. Staff from First will also be on board to advise students on safe travel, night bus services and how to get home safely.
Student volunteers from the student safety campaign Knowledge – www.knowledge-leeds.co.uk – are also taking part in the initiative to encourage students to keep themselves and their valuables safe.
Police, Street Angels and student volunteers will be providing high visibility patrols along the A660 corridor, from the Inner Ring Road, past Leeds University campus, through Hyde Park and Headingley, and towards Leeds Metropolitan University’s Headingley campus in the Beckett Park area. Joint patrols between security staff and police will be mounted around student halls of residence.
Leeds City NPT officers are working with door staff from clubs and bars to ensure students leaving those premises get home safely. A week of events are planned to raise awareness of safety and crime prevention.
Officers are also visiting known burglars and street robbers to give them a clear message that targeting students will not be tolerated and to let them know they will face arrest if seen near to where offences are committed.
Inspector Ian O’Brien, of the Hyde Park and Woodhouse Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “Leeds is generally a very safe place and crime is continuing to fall. Research shows that the vast majority of students are unlikely to be a victim of crime throughout their whole time here. That said, we want to do all we can, in partnership with the universities, to make sure that students enjoy a crime-free stay in the city.
“Officers will be providing a reassuring presence in the main areas that students will be in and will also to look out for potential targets for thieves such as open windows with valuables left on display. We will be doing all we can to catch and deter criminals who think students are an easy target, but we need students to help us by following some common-sense crime prevention advice, such as keeping your valuables secure and out of sight both at home and while out on the streets.
“This work does not stop at Freshers week. Over the coming weeks and months we will continue to work closely with the universities and other partners to keep students safe and ensure they have the best time possible here.”
Meanwhile Liverpool is seeing its annual operation to educate university freshers on their personal safety awareness. Operation Studentsafe is aimed at the 40,000 plus students that will be coming into the region to attend one of the four further education establishments in Liverpool, Liverpool University, John Moores University, Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts and Hope University.
Liverpool North Officers will be at Freshers fairs in the coming weeks, where they will be chatting with students and offering crime prevention and personal safety advice.
Officers will also have a heightened presence in the city as the student nights in our city’s bars, clubs and pubs start up again. This will target students as they travel back to their student accommodation, making sure they don’t use their phone as they walk home, don’t carry large sums of cash and ensuring that people don’t travel home alone and stay together with friends.
Merseyside Police is continually working hard to reduce street crime offences and officers are working along with other agencies such as Citysafe, universities and student unions to help clamp down on the chance of students becoming a victim of crime.
Acting Sergeant Emma Haffenden, said: “Merseyside is a very safe place to live and socialise. We want students to follow simple safety advice to ensure that they do not become a victim of crime and can enjoy this exciting new time in their lives.
“We understand that crime prevention is not one of your top priorities, but unfortunately some criminals do see students as easy targets. We will be doing everything in our power to prevent students becoming victims of crime by working with the universities to provide students with advice on keeping themselves and their property safe.
“We take crimes committed against students very seriously. Only recently we secured a five-and-a-half sentence for a 35-year-old man who committed knifepoint robberies of two students in Liverpool city centre in 2008.
“We will be highly visible and available throughout the academic year to maintain the hard work already done in reducing robbery and be accessible to speak to the students to ensure they enjoy their time in Liverpool as safely as possible.”
