Six parks across the North East are to be made safer to help women and children feel secure.
A number of improvements will be carried out at the sites including better lighting and the cutting back of vegetation to aid visibility.
There will also be designated help points linked to control rooms.
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The work is taking place to help address safety concerns highlighted by women through Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Kim McGuinness’ Safer Streets survey.
A total of £377,237 will be used to carry out the work at parks including:
- Mowbray Park, Sunderland
- North Marine Park, South Shields
- Saltwell Park, Gateshead
- Leazes Park, Newcastle
- Richardson Dees Park, Wallsend
- Hirst Park, Ashington
The police and crime commissioner said: “I love how lucky we are in Northumberland, and Tyne and Wear, to have so many really good parks - great for walks, for families, but people have told us they don’t always feel safe using them. We have to change this.
“Parks should be at the heart of communities and places of escape - safety fears should not and must not prevent people from using them.
“To make sure parks are safer for women we must listen to their stories - and we are. And the things we are making happen to improve safety will benefit everyone.”
Earlier this year, the commissioner’s Safer Streets Survey found that 62% felt unsafe or very unsafe in parks at night, and 89% felt unsafe due to men/boys and groups of people.
She added: “We’ve got a range of specialists on board too, along with our police force and our councils and together we’re throwing a great deal of effort at coming up with real solutions.
"A lot of these improvements will also help reduce other crime such as ASB, drug dealing, and hate crime and so on.
“Whether it’s help points to encourage both victims and bystanders to report concerns or underpasses with better lighting - we are taking notice of what local women are telling us is needed and we are working to make things better, to make things safer.”
The news has been welcomed by all the local authorities involved in the improvements.
Coun Carole Burdis, North Tyneside’s cabinet member for community safety, said: “Making sure our residents feel safe and protected is one of our absolute top priorities as a council, so I’m delighted that our colleagues in the police are taking these steps to make parks safer across the region.
“We’re immensely proud of our parks and public spaces here in North Tyneside, and we all want to make sure that the people who love making use of them can do so without fear.
“I hope this is able to give everyone, especially women and girls, that little bit of additional reassurance while out and about, and we will continue to support the police in any way we can to ensure that North Tyneside is safe for all.”
And Coun Angela Douglas, cabinet member for culture, sport and leisure at Gateshead Council, added: “I wholeheartedly welcome this important investment from the police and crime commissioner.
“Women’s safety is something I feel very strongly about, and we have to do all we can to improve our parks and help everyone feel safe.
“As a council we are always looking at what measures can be put in place to ensure the safety of women and girls.
“We are very proud of our beautiful parks in Gateshead, and they should be safe spaces for all members of our community to enjoy.”
