South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner visits Doncaster park after safety funding

Commissioner Dr Alan Billings and the PCC office were able to secure £550,000 as part of the Safer Streets Initiative, to make local parks safer for women and girls.

The park was one of four to receive new lighting and CCTV, alongside Locke Parke in Barnsley, Clifton Park in Rotherham and Ponderosa Park in Sheffield.

He said: “These areas across South Yorkshire were selected following public consultation about experiences and feelings of safety in public places.”

“Over 2,000 responses pointed to a sharp drop in feelings of confidence at night and highlighted that parks and woodland areas were the areas where women felt most unsafe.”

As well as CCTV cameras, Far Field Park also received solar-powered lighting throughout.

Dr Billings continued: “I visited Far Field Park in Doncaster to see how local residents are benefitting from the additional lighting and CCTV and was pleased to see how prominently located the cameras are, which should act as a deterrent against criminal behaviour.”

“Tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) is one of the priorities in my Police and Crime Plan and this Home Office funding will go some way to disrupt criminal activity and protect women and girls from violence in South Yorkshire.”

This round of funding is the third received by the PCC from the Safer Streets Initiative, bringing the total to over £2 million.

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