Women and girls will have the opportunity to explain how safe they feel at home and in public spaces across Cleveland, in a new survey launching today (Friday 1 May 2026).
Police and Crime Commissioner Matt Storey has developed the short survey to understand how safe women and girls feel, what level of harassment they have experienced and what they think can be done to make them feel safer.
The survey will explore how safe women and girls feel when at home, in their local neighbourhood, in town centres and in local parks or green spaces – both during the day and at night.
Respondents will be asked to identify specific locations where they feel most unsafe and will be asked what measures they have taken in the past to make themselves feel safer.
The feedback collected from the survey will help the PCC’s office further develop their work to make Cleveland’s public spaces safer, by identifying specific hotspots and behaviours that cause the most concern.
Improving safety for women and girls is a key strand of Matt’s Police and Crime Plan.
Matt said: “Women and girls should feel safe whatever they’re doing, whether they’re at home, travelling around the Cleveland area or exercising in a local park.
“Sadly, I hear too often how people avoid using public spaces or town centres, due to concerns about safety and crime. This information isn’t recorded in crime data, which is why surveys are so useful to help me understand how people really feel.
“I also know that violence against women and girls is widely under-reported. This survey will seek to understand why people chose not to report to police – and if they did report, what their experience with Cleveland Police was like.
“I urge women and girls of all ages to please have their say, to help me work on solutions to make our area feel more safe for all.”
The survey will be open until Tuesday 30th June 2026 and can be accessed here:
Feelings of Safety – Women & Girls Survey 2026
Later in the year, a similar exercise will be conducted to understand the feelings of safety in public spaces for men and boys.