New 'night safety app' rolled out across Stoke and Newcastle
A new safety app designed to help people feel more confident when travelling at night is being rolled out across Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme
Stoke-on-Trent City Council says the app provides a range of safety and reassurance tools for residents, that are simple to use.
This includes sharing your live location with trusted people, planning and tracking journeys and accessing a UK wide map of accredited safe spaces and venues.
WalkSafe has been introduced through a partnership between Staffordshire Police, Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, Newcastle-under-Lyme BID and Stoke-on-Trent City Council.
The rollout of the app builds on the existing community safety measures already in place across Staffordshire to make communities safer and strengthen confidence in towns and city centres.
It comes as recent research claims 81% of women feel they have to consider their safety when getting home from pubs, clubs and bars, and that people are 63% more likely to visit venues with visible safety measures in place.
Councillor Duncan Walker, cabinet member for safe and resilient communities at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “Everyone deserves to feel safe when they are out and about - especially women, who feel they have to take steps to ensure their safety when heading home at night.
“The rollout of the WalkSafe app is a really positive step that gives people simple, practical tools to help them feel more confident and supported when travelling across our city.
“This is a great example of partners working together to improve safety across Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme.”