A new digital tool (StreetSafe) has been launched to report areas of concern when out and about

A pilot for a new digital tool has been launched by the Government today (Thursday 2nd September) which will allow members of the public to flag areas of concern anonymously on a map.

This is just one step in a national approach to tackling violence against women and girls.

The online tool, named StreetSafe, will enable members of the public to anonymously drop a pin onto a map and describe factors that caused them to feel unsafe. This could range from a whole host of reasons including public harassment to a poorly-lit walkway.

The anonymous information and data will be used by local policing teams to improve wellbeing and safety within those areas.

Changes such as installing CCTV and street lighting or introducing night-time patrols could be brought in as a result of the intelligence.

This pilot will run for the next three months and will be hosted on the national policing website police.uk.

Assistant Chief Constable Darren Downs said: “Tackling violence against women is a top priority within our force and we are working with local authorities and other agencies to create a safer environment for women within our area.

“We are encouraging people to use this new tool as it helps us to better support the community.”

Whilst this tool is an important step forward, this should not be used as an alternative for reporting crime and serious incidents.

As the information is anonymous, we are unable to follow up with any reports through this digital platform.

To report a crime in progress, always call 999. Call 101 for non-emergencies and to report any information, or you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.