Emergency help points installed to increase safety across Plymouth

Emergency help points have been used eight times since they were installed in September, a council has said.

The 13 help points in Plymouth were installed to to make people, especially women and girls, feel safer.

They are located in busy areas with statistically higher crime rates and link to the CCTV control room, the police and the Plymouth Against Retail Crime team.

The points were funded by the Home Office's Safer Streets initiative.

When activated, lighting brightens and cameras nearby move to pick up the help points so staff in the council's 24/7 CCTV control room can monitor a situation while an appropriate emergency response is sent.

The are help points in the city centre, Stonehouse, North Hill, Mutley Plain, the Barbican and on the Hoe.

Plymouth City Council said the eight recorded requests for help, included requests for urgent medical assistance and two "potential violence against women and girls incidents".

The council said it had also increased CCTV coverage in the area of North Hill and signage to highlight the presence of CCTV.

A council spokesperson said: "It is always a worry and concern when someone feels the need to seek help and support, however we are really encouraged that those people who need assistance, and are potentially at risk, now have an easily accessible route to help and provides our residents and visitors with a greater sense of safety."

Councillor Rebecca Smith, cabinet member for homes and communities and chair of the Violence Against Women and Girls Commission, said: "We've had at least half a dozen genuine calls, which I think highlights the need for them and completely validates the work we've been doing here.

"Clearly we're going to get a few prank calls as well, but I think it's better that we get a few prank calls and some serious calls that then we can help people as a result of, than we don't have these at all."

Devon and Cornwall police and crime commissioner Alison Hernandez, said the help points were "all about making people feel safer on the street and actually be safer".

She added: "I think we've got a long way to go to give confidence to people, to come forward.

"We need people to come forward when it's happening, when it's recently happened so that we can secure justice for those individuals and support them straight away."

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