Personal Safety Tips

• Stay alert – awareness is your best defence.
• Leave venues with friends wherever possible.
• Try to stay in well-lit areas.
• Be confident – even if you don’t feel it.
• Travel as if you know where you are going.
• Take the most direct route and try to stay within areas where other people are around.
• Trust your instincts – if you think something is wrong then act on it.
• Have your keys available when you reach your home or car.
• Keep money for taxis – the expense is worth it.
• Carry a personal alarm and use it when necessary.

If you are a victim:

• Get help immediately.
• In an emergency dial 999 or 112.
• Make as much noise as you can to alert people.
• As soon as you can, go somewhere you know is safe.
• If you have been attacked, don’t shower or change your clothes as it may destroy evidence.
• If you have the confidence, tell the police why you think you were attacked.
• If you have had your keys taken, ensure you change the locks.
• Don’t drink alcohol – you need to give a clear account of what happened.
• Use the reporting systems to report the incident if you do not have the confidence to tell the police.
• If you want to stay anonymous, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
  Use a third party reporting centre, the self-reporting form or the online reporting facility on this website.

If you are a witness:

• Call 999 or 112
• Let the police know what you’ve seen. Don’t assume others will come forward. Many crucial witnesses walk away thinking someone else will report it.
• Stay alert and safe.
• Don’t physically intervene – you could get hurt yourself.
• If it is safe to do so, take a photograph or video on your mobile phone. Remember, however, that the police are likely to need your phone as evidence.
• Record details of times, number plates, descriptions and so on. If you don’t have a pen with you, leave a voicemail message on your mobile phone or write a draft text message. As soon as you can find a pen and paper, write down the information in as much detail as possible.
• If you want to stay anonymous, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
• Or use the self-reporting form or online reporting facility on this website.

Here are some useful tips for keeping safe on the internet:

• The Internet provides endless opportunities to meet people from all over the world. You must however remember to use common sense. It is easy to get swept-up into a fantasy world, but reality requires us to use caution.
• Do not give out personal details, photographs, or any other information that could be used to identify you, your family, or where you live.
• Do not take other people at face value – they may not be what they seem.
• Never arrange to meet someone you’ve only ever previously met on the Internet, without telling a friend and giving them as much detail as possible about the person that you’re meeting and where.
• Do not open an attachment or download a file unless you know and trust the person who has sent it.
• Never respond directly to anything you find disturbing when using the Internet or email. Log off, and report it.