PCC’s commitment to safer travel in Southampton’s night-time economy

Southampton City has launched a new campaign to help people travel safely at night in the city thanks to funding provided by the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Donna Jones.

Earlier this year, the PCC announced a £500K cash injection to tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB) across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Over 25 projects were awarded funding. Southampton’s Safe City Partnership received over £32K from the PCC’s ASB Fund.

One of the projects being funded is designed to raise awareness of safety in the city centre with students and raise awareness about the range of licensed taxi and private hire services available. The initiative is part of a commitment to help people get home safely after a night out.

The city’s universities are supporting the safety campaign and receiving keyrings with a QR code linked to a public safety webpage. There are approximately 2,000 taxi drivers operating across the city.

PCC Donna Jones said: “Bars and nightclubs are often hotspots for anti-social behaviour, alcohol-related violence, and violence against women and girls. As Police Commissioner, I’m committed to supporting the city’s partnerships to improve public safety and help people get home quickly and safely.

“Since becoming PCC three years ago, I’ve worked with the city council to make Southampton safer, including installing more CCTV cameras and better lighting in parks in the city centre. My new Police and Crime plan outlines my commitment to tackling ASB and violence against women and girls. This new initiative, focused on helping students get home safely after a night out, is another great step forward, and I’m pleased to support it with continued funding.”

Two thousand QR coded keyrings have been ordered for students and freshers’ fayres across the city. So far, approximately half have been distributed between Solent University and the University of Southampton. According to the city council, Southampton is a term-time home to approximately 40,000 students from around the world.

Pro Vice-Chancellor Students and Governance at Solent University, Jim Irving, said: “Southampton has been recognised as a great place to live, work and study, and we’re committed to working closely with partners throughout the city to enhance safety. We’ve seen our students utilise the QR code keyrings provided by Southampton City Council, highlighting how beneficial initiatives like these are.

“By working with the Police and Crime Commissioner, we’re empowering our students to make smart, safe decisions and we will continue to work collaboratively to ensure everyone is aware of the initiatives available to them in the city.”

Councillor Christie Lambert, Cabinet Member for Communities and Safer City at Southampton City Council, said: “I’m delighted that this funding has been made available to Southampton’s Safe City Partnership so that we can continue helping all our residents, including students, to stay safe at night so they can enjoy our vibrant night-time economy without fear. I would highly encourage all students to pick up a keyring and keep it on their person when they’re heading out for the evening. As a council, we are fervently committed to working with our partners to improve safety initiatives around the city and help make Southampton safer for all our communities.”

The campaign coincides with the 16 days of action which are currently being observed following White Ribbon Day on 25 November 2024. The international campaign calls for the elimination of violence against women and girls and runs until 10 December.

Last year, the Police and Crime Commissioner launched a campaign to introduce mandatory CCTV in taxis and private hire vehicles across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The measure is already in place in Southampton meaning licensing conditions require CCTV to be fitted before a taxi license can be issued.