Falkirk police join fight against disability hate crime

Police officers are joining forces with community charity I Am Me Scotland to make sure people with disabilities have all the help and support they need to stay as safe as possible.
By James Trimble
Published 5th Mar 2021, 09:10 GMT
Updated 5th Mar 2021, 09:14 GMT
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The award-winning Keep Safe initiative works with a network of local businesses to create safe places in the community for anyone feeling lost, frightened or who has been a victim of crime.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “The initiative aims to ensure that people feel safe when participating in community life. Many people can feel scared, frightened or vulnerable when out in the community and this can in many cases lead to social isolation.

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“Keep Safe aims to offer a network of safe places to help encourage people to participate in daily community life free from the fear of harassment and abuse.

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Police officers have teamed up with I Am Me Scotland to help those with disabilities feel as safe as possible when they are out and aboutPolice officers have teamed up with I Am Me Scotland to help those with disabilities feel as safe as possible when they are out and about
Police officers have teamed up with I Am Me Scotland to help those with disabilities feel as safe as possible when they are out and about

“Sometimes due to disability or age related illness, people can easily become disorientated, lost or become confused, especially in and around unfamiliar surroundings. Keep Safe can offer a reassurance that there is somewhere people can seek assistance if required.”

To help facilitate this the Keep Safe Card has been introduced to give elderly, disabled and vulnerable people an easy way to present their information to those who can help them.

"The cards detail information such as communication requirements, health concerns and who to contact in the event of an emergency. They are particularly useful for people who have a learning disability or have dementia/Alzheimer's.”

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If a business wants to become a Keep Safe place, they can either contact their local police office directly to ask if they are supporting the initiative or they can contact I Am Me project on [email protected].

When staff training is complete, the Keep Safe sticker will be displayed in the window and the business will be advertised on I Am Me Scotland webpage and the new free to download Keep Safe App, which maps out all Keep Safe places across Scotland and can help people to plan routes, highlighting Keep Safe places along the way.

The app also enables people to report hate crimes directly to the Police if they have been a victim or have witnessed an incident.

Visit www.iammescotland.co.uk for more information.