Police Crime Prevention Initiatives (Police CPI) will be attending the first Women’s Night Safety Summit since 2019 on 29 September.

The event examines best practice examples of work from the signatories of the Women’s Night Safety Charter.

Police CPI, which works alongside the Police Service around the UK to deter and reduce crime, is signatory of the Women’s Night Safety Charter, which seeks to make the capital a safe place where women feel ‘confident and welcome’ at night.

The Women’s Night Safety Charter is part of the Mayor’s Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy and is London’s commitment to the UN Women Safe Cities and Safe Public Spaces global initiative.

It sets out guidance for venues, operators, charities, councils and businesses to improve safety at night for women, including better training of staff, encouraging and reporting of harassment and ensuring public spaces are safe.

To support the Women’s Night Safety Charter, any organisations that operates at night can sign-up to its simple pledges:

• Nominate a champion in the organisation who actively promotes women’s night safety

• Demonstrate to staff and customers that the organisation takes women’s safety at night seriously, for example through a communications campaign

• Remind customers and staff that London is safe, but tell them what to do if they experience harassment when working, going out or travelling

• Encourage reporting by victims and bystanders as part of the organisation’s communications campaign

• Train staff to ensure that all women who report are believed

• Train staff to ensure that all reports are recorded and responded to

• Design their public spaces and work places to make them safer for women at night

The Mayor has also invested over £100,000 to develop new training, resources and best practice sharing events to help signatories make progress on meeting the pledges.

Police CPI Chief Operating Officer, Jon Cole, said: “The Charter has attracted hundreds of signatories from businesses and organisations operating across London ranging from pubs and clubs to police and local authorities.

“As a police-owned organisation, whose primary role is crime prevention, we are proud to become a signatory of the Women’s Night Safety Charter and play an active part in supporting measures that make women safer.

“We will continue to promote awareness of the Charter, encouraging businesses and organisations to pledge their support.”

Police CPI has a track record of crime prevention and keeping people and property safe since 1989.

Police CPI’s latest initiative, launched on 4 March 2021, is Licensing Security & Vulnerability Initiative (Licensing SAVI), which seeks to provide safer and more secure bars, pubs, clubs, restaurants and hotels for staff, managers, customers and local communities.

Developed at the request of the Home Office, completion of the self-assessment can lead to accreditation and an award with a star-rating for display to show the efforts undertaken to enhance safety and security.

Licensing SAVI covers critical issues like responsible drinking, drugs misuse, violent behaviour and safeguarding vulnerable customers through to preventing opportunist theft and improving physical security, such as lighting and CCTV.

It also covers drink spiking, an issue which has hit national headlines recently with a number of victims from around the country reporting being assaulted with needles.

Licensing SAVI supports the alcohol drinks industry and is backed by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC).

As well as provide safer and more secure venues for managers, staff, customers, and local communities, it also seeks to reduce demand on Police Forces, NHS Ambulance Services and Accident & Emergency Departments.

Licensing SAVI’s Business Manager Mark Morgan, a former Police Superintendent, said: “We know from the Women’s Night Safety Charter toolkit that night-time venues, such as pubs, bars and clubs can attract a range of unacceptable behaviours.

“Licensing SAVI provides a practical way to train and develop staff around the critical issues of safety and security whilst raising awareness of types of vulnerability and how to mitigate them.”