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Get Home Safe 2009
MEDIA RELEASE
SAFE STRABANE INITIATIVE
Monday 9th March 2009
An initiative aimed at promoting safe and responsible behaviour over the St Patrick’s Day celebrations, will take place in Strabane town centre Saturday 14th and Tuesday 17th March.
The project entitled “Safe Strabane” is aninitiative by Strabane Community Safety Partnership, it is aimed at encouraging people to enjoy the St Patrick’s Day celebrations in a safe and responsible way. The Community Safety Partnership will provide community safety wardens on the streets of Strabane. Operating on key nights over the St Patrick’s Day period, the community safety wardens will aim to ease traffic congestion, prevent problems among revellers to the town and to help smooth the way home for visitors to the area’s bars, clubs and restaurants.
The wardens will patrol the town centre between 10.00pm and 4.00am and will be on hand to assist in the safe entering and dispersal of all patrons to the town as well as assisting anyone who is feeling vulnerable.
The Community Safety Partnership will be backing up the warden initiative with a ‘Get Home Safe’ advertising campaign to make people think in advance how they are going to get home safely after a night out in the town Centre. The message will be displayed on panels on the side of Strabane District Council refuse collection vehicles. The key messages of the campaign to young people are to:
Plan Ahead- do you know how you are getting home at the end of the night.
Drink Sensibly – if you drink alcohol, never drink on an empty stomach. Avoid Binge Drinking and don’t leave drinks unattended.
Be Streetsafe- Don’t wander off alone, avoid confrontations and walk away from a fight.
Never Drink and Drive - if you are out with a crowd designate a sober driver.
This initiative is part of an integrated approach to address all forms of anti-social behaviour in Strabane District. The Community Safety Partnership want to create safer and more secure communities for people to work, live and socialise and this is an important step to help achieve that goal. Similar initiatives in other districts throughout Northern Ireland have led to a decrease in levels of anti-social behaviour and serious violence and we hope it will have the same effect in Strabane.
For further information, please contact
Ryan Tracey, CSP Co-ordinator on 028 71 382204
