00:00In Liverpool's busy nighttime economy, nine new halo points have been introduced in a bid to make city centre night
00:06outs safer and to provide immediate support for anyone who feels vulnerable.
00:11The clearly marked locations are designed as a safe space across key areas of the city where people can seek
00:17reassurance, contact emergency services and receive rapid support through links to City Watch, CCTV and local police response.
00:24With this, if anyone feels vulnerable, it's anybody who's in the city, everyone who's out, if they do feel vulnerable,
00:32they just press the button.
00:33We've got 24 hours in the CCTV room. The light will come on. Someone will speak to them until somebody
00:41will be able to get there and help them.
00:43It's a very safe city, Liverpool, thankfully.
00:45And we've worked really hard to get with all the partners across the city with the private businesses, with the
00:50bars, all the night staff are trained to help people.
00:53And yes, we've had purple flags dated now for 16 years on the consecutive trot.
00:59That's really, really, you know, one of the best in the world we are at leading that.
01:03Yes, and we have a fantastic nightlife here in the city and we want to keep it safe.
01:07And these halo points are to make a contribution to that.
01:10This builds on the work of violence against women and girls champions already embedded in venues across Liverpool.
01:16What we've done is we've trained, I think today now, 178 door supervisors to become Borg champions.
01:23So they've received extensive training by ourselves to identify non-contact, contact sexual offences, to be trained on vulnerabilities, what
01:32vulnerable people are, how they become vulnerable, how to spot prejudice-free behaviour.
01:37It's funded through the hyper-local policing fund awarded by the Home Office and secured by Merseyside's Police and Crime
01:42Commissioner Emily Sporrell and Merseyside Police.
01:45Constable Frank Stephens from Merseyside Police, who developed the idea, says the launch marks a significant step forward in tackling
01:52violence against women and girls and improving safety on a night out in Liverpool.
01:56The locations, we have five up at this side here around the Constance Square rope walks area.
02:01We also have five for four on the Matthew Street area, two of which are directly focused towards the LGBTQ
02:08plus areas.
02:10Yet the title is violence against women and girls, but the walk champions are trained that anyone who's vulnerable, who
02:16needs help, will receive the same level of help.
02:18Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Sporrell said everyone should feel safe when enjoying Liverpool's night-time economy, and these safe
02:24spaces provide reassurance and rapid access to help for anyone who feels at risk.
02:29Tackling violence against women and girls remains a priority, and the initiative shows what partnerships working together can achieve.
02:36People just need to remember, there is CCTV, you are getting watched, so you do decide you want to press
02:42it for a bit of a laugh.
02:43You might be getting followed by the CCTV cameras, and then picked up by the police at the end of
02:49the road, so just remember what they're here for.
02:52They're here for a serious thing. It's violence against women and girls, so do us a favor, don't be pressing
02:57it for a laugh.
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