Key locations identified in Mansfield and Ashfield where women feel unsafe as part of police campaign
Key locations where women and girls feel unsafe have been identified in Mansfield and Ashfield as part of the police Walk in My Shoes campaign.
Measures to tackle these problem areas are now underway in the highlighted areas as part of the campaign launched at the end of March 2025 to find out the areas where women and girls felt unsafe.
In Mansfield data revealed women and girls feel most unsafe around the Four Seasons Shopping Centre, with most unwanted behaviour taking place in this vicinity.
Increased targeted police patrols are being carried out in this area to enhance visibility and talks have taken place with Mansfield District Council who are working with the Designing Out Crime Officers to improve safety in this area.
Regeneration work around the Market Place will also help solve some of these safety concerns and there is also a Safe-Point in place outside the Four Seasons shopping centre.
The data revealed unwanted behaviour and safety fears have been experienced around Forest Street and Fox Street in Ashfield.
To improve this increased police patrols are being carried out in these areas. Thanks to these additional patrols, a vulnerable woman was safely taken home by officers.
Funding has also been approved by the OPCC to upgrade the CCTV in the area and there is already a Safe Point in the town centre, not far from the location identified.
The bespoke survey attracted more than 3,600 responses and was supported by Nottingham Forest Netball Team, Tara’s Angels, and These Girls Run, who had changed their running route due to safety fears.
The survey was extended to November 7 after initial analysis of the data revealed a low uptake from ethnic minority communities.
The results found more than 2,700 women and girls changed their walking or running route to avoid areas where they felt unsafe.
More than 2,300 women experienced unwanted behaviour from men in a public space in the last year with harassment and staring the most common experiences.
Nearly 90 percent of women and girls felt the most unsafe in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire in the evening and at night.
The top three suggestions to improve safety were - more police visibility in identified areas, changes to the environmental landscape such as additional CCTV, lighting and cutting back bushes and trees and a safe space for refuge.
Inspector Hayley Crawford, who launched the Ask for Angela initiative designed to keep women safe on a night out, was tasked with analysing the survey results.
With the help of the police’s Designing Out Crime Officers, who provide expert advice in making areas safer, they visited each location and came up with sustainable solutions.
Inspector Crawford then held meetings with key partners including local councils and the Nottinghamshire Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner to look for funding opportunities.
Superintendent Heather Maelor, force lead for the Prevention Hub, which covers Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) said: “The safety of women and girls across our city and county is of paramount importance to us as a police service. It is vitally important that women and girls feel safe when walking or running in their local area.
“Violence Against Women and Girls is a national priority and as you would expect we take all reports of this nature extremely seriously.
“I would like to personally thank everyone who has taken the time to fill out our survey and tell us about their personal experiences.
Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Angela Kandola, who leads on Violence Against Women and Girls, said: “The Walk in My Shoes campaign is a great example of partnership working to understand where women and girls feel unsafe in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.
“The only way we can build trust and confidence amongst our communities is by ensuring action is taken.
“Since the survey closed, we have been committed to working with partners to ensure measures are taken to improve safety.”