Safer Streets

The BID continues with its commitment to help make Northampton Town Centre a safe and welcoming place for all who frequent it.

By working with partners, the BID has been able to implement and support a number of initiatives to help with this.

Northampton Town Anti-Social Behaviour Reporting Scheme (NTARS)

Northampton Town Anti-Social Behaviour Reporting Scheme (NTARS)

Northampton Town Centre BID and Northampton Business Crime Partnership’s (NBCP) launched a new crime and ASB intelligence sharing app in 2019. 

Funded by the BID, Northampton Town Anti-Social Behaviour Reporting Scheme (NTARS) is a bespoke programme designed to enable Northampton town centre levy paying businesses to collate and share intelligence on anti-social behaviour and ‘low level crime’.

The system directly feeds into West Northamptonshire Council’s ASB Case management team and into NBCP, who are based within Campbell Square Police Station.

Read more about NTARS here.

Cops Adopt a Shop – Crackdown on town centre crime

Cops Adopt a Shop - Crackdown on town centre crime

Town centre businesses have been given the opportunity of a dedicated police contact as part of a new ‘Cops Adopt A Shop’ scheme to cut retail crime in Northampton.

The campaign, which follows on from a meeting between the BID and Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Stephen Mold in 2021, officers have been visiting a number of retailers who had expressed interest in the scheme.

Retailers are able to have regular conversations with a named police officer, with a view to establishing a more cohesive approach to tackling town centre crime and a closer working relationship between police officers and retailers.

The scheme is a collaboration by Northampton Town Centre BID, Northamptonshire Police, West Northamptonshire Council and the Northamptonshire Business Crime Partnership.

Licensing SAVI

Licensing SAVI

Free access to Licensing Security and Vulnerability Initiative

“A self-assessment tool for licensed premises to provide a safe and secure environment”

Our partnership with the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner has allowed evening economy businesses the opportunity to obtain accreditation through the Licensing Security and Vulnerability Initiative (Licensing SAVI) for FREE.

Funded by the Safer Streets funding, businesses will see their fee waived for the first year.

What is Licensing SAVI?

Licensing SAVI, the Licensing Security and Vulnerability Initiative, is a confidential self-assessment tool designed to help the owners and operators of licensed premises provide a safe and secure environment for their managers, staff, customers and local community.

What are the benefits?

Some of the benefits is that it will,

Provide information on effective management practices and operational security
Go a long way to demonstrate to the Responsible Authorities your compliance to the Licensing Act 2003, and can form part of your application under this act to assist with future refurbishments
If you reach the required standard, you will be able to apply for Accreditation and the Licensing SAVI Award which can be used to promote the safety of your business to your customers

How does it work?

Once your Licensing SAVI assessment has been completed, you will be able to apply for the Licensing SAVI Award, which is star-rated and allows you to market your achievement by showing the public that you run a safe and secure premises.

Anti-Spiking Devices for hospitality businesses and venues

Anti-Spiking Devices for hospitality businesses and venues

Northamptonshire Police has delivered a number of anti-spiking devices for the BID to deliver to businesses.

The devices, called StopTopps, have been specifically designed to deter drink spikers by allowing users to simply place over their drink, and are suitable for most drinking vessels.

These devices have been made available to hospitality businesses and venues who will be able to offer these to their customers, free of charge.

They will also be available on the SNOvan.

To find out more information about StopTopps, please visit HERE.

Operation Kayak

Operation Kayak

Op Kayak is a police operation that was set up to tackle sexual offending in the night-time economy and sees Northamptonshire Police officers deployed within public town centre spaces, working with CCTV operators, all looking out for and disrupting potentially predatory behaviour.

Operation Kayak was launched when Covid-19 restrictions on pubs, clubs and other venues were lifted in the summer

Op Kayak officers look out for specific behaviours including loitering, leering, following lone/intoxicated individuals, approaching and harassing females, and committing acts of sexual violence.

Read more about the success Operation Kayak here.

Businesses were also given the chance to attended police briefing and Predatory Behaviour Awareness Upskilling Sessions in 2021. 

Attendees received an overview of Operation Kayak prior to its launch, alongside an upskilling session detailing the types of predators and how they operate, the risk factors, types of attacks, and information on how venues can help support Northamptonshire Police with the operation.

Safer Nights Out Van

Safer Nights Out Van

The Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner launched a new initiative to support the safety of women and girls using the night time economy in Northampton back in December 2021.

The Safer Nights Out Van (SNOvan for short) is staffed by volunteers, and will be a safe haven for anyone who is in need of help, becomes separated from their friends, needs basic first aid, or is in need of any other kind of support.

The van is out in Northampton every Friday and Saturday night and will be located on the All Saints Plaza.

The SNOvan is aimed particularly at improving the safety and confidence of women and compliments a wide range of work to help tackle the perpetrators and raise awareness of violence against women and girls.

Watch the video here.

Drink Testing Kits

Drink Testing Kits

New test kits to reassure customers on drink spiking in town centre bars

Town centre pubs and clubs have been given new test kits to gauge if a drink has been spiked as part of a campaign to make women safer at night.

Co-Funded by Northampton Town Centre Business Improvement District (BID) and the OFPCC, the kits have been rolled out into a number of town centre venues to reassure revellers that they can enjoy a night out in town in confidence.

The kits can be operated immediately by bar staff once they have been alerted by a customer who fears their drink may have been tampered with. If the test result is positive, Northamptonshire Police will be alerted and can confirm the result by taking a urine sample.

The process means customers can quickly raise the alarm and police can begin their investigations within minutes and boost their chances of catching the offender, rather than having to trawl through hours of CCTV footage the following day.

The test kits will also be used by the town centre Guardians in the SNOvan used in the town centre at weekends.

It Only Takes One

It Only Takes One Campaign

It Only Takes One

Organisations across Northampton have come together to say “it only takes one community to say enough is enough” to violence against women.

A partnership led by Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner and West Northamptonshire Council with Northamptonshire Police, Northamptonshire Rape Crisis and Northampton BID has come together to create a network of measures to make women safer at night by improving physical safety and security, tackling perpetrators, and starting a conversation that helps people call-out abuse.

Central to the programme is a new communications campaign that will raise awareness of all forms of harassment and violence against women and highlight that it only takes one person to say enough is enough to challenge the attitudes and inappropriate behaviours of some men.

The projects of this campaign include,

  • Physical Improvements which include the SNO-van,  Help Points (audio and visual) on All Saints Plaza, Becket’s Park, and Racecourse and improved ‘Safer Route’ signage and markings from UoN to Town Centre

 

  • Personnel which include a Taxi support scheme, Op Kayak (Northamptonshire Police operation where non-uniformed officers patrol hotspot areas in Northamptonshire’s town centres to prevent sexual offending) and Park Watch Scheme for Becket’s Park and the Racecourse.

 

  • Training / Videos / Certifications which include the Park Mark’ security standard for Racecourse, Midsummer Meadow and UoN, Safety engagement at the Racecourse and Becket’s Park and the SNO-van volunteers to receive First-aid Training and Mental Health Awareness training
  • Media / Communication which will include the Northampton & county wide media campaign, It only takes one… Harassment and sexual aggression is not ok. It only takes one community working together to make change happen. It’s time we all say “enough is enough”.

 

To find out more go to: www.itonlytakesone.org.uk

Supporting Campaigns of the It Only Takes One campaign

Streetsafe

It only takes one minute to report on STREETSAFE

Using StreetSafe members of the public can identify where they feel unsafe on a map. Police forces will use the data to understand the specific concerns raised and to make informed decisions on safety.

Shout Up!

It only takes one to SHOUT UP!

Managed by Northamptonshire Rape Crisis, Shout-Up! campaigns to make our pubs, clubs, bars and venues sexual harassment free zones by training staff to recognise and respond to sexual harassment.

Safer Route

It only takes one minute to check the SAFER ROUTE

The Safer Route map has been updated and redesigned with new campaign slogan and colours.

Get Savi

It only takes one to GET SAVI

SAVI is made available to each Northamptonshire venue for just £4.50 instead of £120 till 31st March.

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