Scarborough Borough Council

Home > News > News by Year > News 2012 > Council news - July 2012 > Street Angels launch in Whitby

Street Angels launch in Whitby

‘Street Angels’ will begin patrolling Whitby this Friday (20 July).

Led by Churches Together, the Street Angels support the police and other agencies, providing reassurance to members of the public and support to those that are vulnerable including those that are intoxicated.

They hand out water and in some cases support people to a taxi. They pick up discarded bottles that could be used as weapons and give out flip-flops to prevent people walking in bare feet which could lead to injuries. They also call the emergency services where appropriate and provide basic first aid if it is needed.

For the last three months the 12 volunteers who will patrol Whitby have been taking part in a comprehensive training programme assisted by officers from the North Yorkshire Police, Scarborough Borough Council, The Cambridge Centre and other partners.

The scheme is a voluntary project and has been set up in partnership with Safer Communities, North Yorkshire Moors and Coast, Scarborough Borough Council, North Yorkshire Police and Whitby Churches to:

·        provide reassurance and promote the feeling of safety within the night time economy

·        reduce anti social behaviour and disorder

·        cut street crime including violent crime

·        reduce the need for emergency services so they can be better deployed

Initially, Street Angels will be patrolling Whitby Town Centre one night each weekend during peak times to contribute to creating a safer community.

Similar projects in other parts of the country have seen up to a 50 per cent reduction in violent crime and anti social behaviour and Street Angel co-ordinators in Whitby hope to achieve this and more.

The Whitby Street Angels project will be officially launched by the Mayor of Whitby, Cllr John Freeman, tomorrow (19 July) at the Whitby Museum in Pannett Park, where volunteers will be introduced formally to the different partner agencies involved.

Lesley Philps, Scarborough Borough Council Community Safety Officer, said: “Whitby does not have a huge problem with anti-social behaviour, but like other towns and cities in the country there are issues, particularly on a Friday and Saturday night when people have drunk too much.

“In Scarborough where The Street Angels have been established for some time now, they have made a really positive difference to the night time economy and I’m confident they will make a noticeable difference to people’s wellbeing in Whitby too.”