WalkSafe app launched to improve safety across Herefordshire and Worcestershire
Safety app aims to help women and girls feel more confident when out
A free personal safety app named WalkSafe is now available across Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire, aiming to boost confidence and improve safety for people, particularly women and girls, in public spaces.
The app, introduced by West Mercia Police and funded by the Home Office, allows users to plan routes, share journeys with trusted contacts and access an SOS alert button if they feel unsafe. It also provides a list of accredited venues, including bars, restaurants and other locations that meet recognised safety standards like Best Bar None and Licensed Security & Vulnerability Initiative (LSAVI).
Superintendent Edward Hancox from West Mercia Police said: “It’s a simple tool that helps you stay connected with the people who care about you, whether you’re travelling home, meeting friends or enjoying a night out.
“The app features a list of safety trained venues, lets you plan and share your route and includes an SOS alert to trusted contacts if you feel unsafe. With so many women and girls telling us they feel vulnerable after dark, tools like this app can make a real difference.
“The app forms part of our ongoing commitment to help people feel safer in public spaces and we fully support anything that gives our communities more confidence and reassurance when they’re out and about.”
The app is part of ongoing efforts by the Police and Crime Commissioner for West Mercia, John Campion, to improve safety in the area. Campion said: “No one should fear going outside their homes or enjoying themselves on a night out with friends at Christmas or at any time of the year.
“I’m pleased that the WalkSafe app is being launched in West Mercia, but we also need to see a societal shift and the use of the full weight of the law to stop the people who find it acceptable to perpetrate unwanted and, sometimes, violent behaviour."
Venues accredited through Best Bar None or LSAVI, or those seeking accreditation, can contact their local Safer Neighbourhood Team for more details on being included in the app.
The WalkSafe app is free to download from the Apple App Store and Google Play by searching for ‘WalkSafe’.