Southend: New Safe Space in the city centre

A new Safe Space for anyone feeling vulnerable or in danger in Southend will be open on the High Street on Friday and Saturday nights for the rest of the summer.

The mobile police station will be positioned adjacent to HSBC and the Odeon cinema and available from 8pm to 4am until the last weekend in August.

It will be staffed by six police officers, with regular assistance from street pastors, drug and alcohol support workers, and the council’s community safety officers.

Southend continues to be a popular place for a night out with its bars and nightclubs attracting people from all over Essex and east London.

The city already has a highly visible police presence throughout the summer with up to 26 officers a day on patrol along the seafront and surrounding areas as part of Operation Union, which was established to combat high-harm crime in Southend and is now into its third year.

Crime is down by 6.7% in Southend in the 12 months to the end of June 2023, with ASB falling by 32%. Southend Community Policing Team were also the first the country to use the mobile OpenGate weapons detector, and now have a second one thanks to a donation from seafront traders.

A/Inspector Dave Gardiner of Southend CPT said:

“We want people to enjoy themselves in Southend and feel safe. Anyone out in the city will see our officers on patrol and the Safe Space will give people somewhere to go to get help from a police officer if they need it.

“Southend has a purple flag for its night-time economy, and it is a safe place for a night out. If people have a bit too much to drink and become separated from their friends or feel uncomfortable for any reason, we will be there to help them.

“It was in place for the first time last weekend and the feedback from the public so far has been excellent. If this trial is a success, we may look to use the mobile police station at other busy times of the year.”

Sergeant Elizabeth Reschwamm is part of the Operation Grip hotspot policing team who are behind the Safe Space.

She said: “Under Op Grip, we’ve looked at hotspots for violence and crime using data from the last three years and that is where the idea of the Safe Space has originated from.

“We want to be highly visible but also have a place where people can engage with us. We’re working closely with local venues and partners, we are listening to the public and having the Safe Space on the High Street should reassure them that they have somewhere to go if they need us.”

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