KEEP SAFE LAUNCH
I Am Me is an award winning community group which works in partnership with Police Scotland to raise awareness of Disability Hate Crime. This is recognised as one of the most under reported crimes in the UK, with an estimated 97% of crimes and incidents going unreported.
Keep Safe works with Police Scotland and a network of local businesses to provide safe places throughout the community for anyone feeling lost, frightened or vulnerable. Participating businesses will display an I Am Me/Keep Safe sticker and staff within will be trained to assist. Keep Safe cards are available for elderly, disabled or vulnerable people. These cards detail information on health concerns, communication needs and who to contact in an emergency
Carol Burt from I Am Me said “we are delighted that this initiative is being extended to Dumfries and Galloway and look forward to working alongside Police Scotland to support the roll out of Keep Safe.”
Craig McEwan of the Inspired Community Enterprise Trust at The Usual Place in Dumfries said “this is a really worthwhile new initiative for Dumfries. The Usual Place team feel that the promotion of a “Place of Safety” will help people to continue to enjoy our lovely town with confidence in the knowledge that venues like The Usual Place will provide a safe haven in the event of them experiencing any form of “Hate Crime.”
Louise McIlroy, Store Manager at M&S Dumfries, said, “The Keep Safe campaign will provide a valuable support system for our local community, so we are very happy to lend our support and be involved in this initiative. We encourage other local businesses to get on-board too.”
Sergeant David Coull of Police Scotland said “this is an exciting initiative which will help us to further our commitment to keeping people safe here in Dumfries and Galloway.”
