The Headingley and Hyde Park area are renowned for being unsafe at night. Even on my first day in Leeds, I was warned not to walk through Hyde Park by myself because of the very real risk of sexual assault.

This is an urgent issue that needs to be solved; according to the West Yorkshire Police, there have been 4,622 violent and sexual offenses in Leeds student areas since October 2019 (West Yorkshire Police 2019, as quoted in thetab.com)).

During the day, the park is a friendly and safe place to be, where children can play and everyone can enjoy the fresh air, but at night this is a very different story. Without a single street light, at night the park becomes a dangerous place to be.

However, this can change. Putting street lights in dangerous areas has been statistically proven to help to reduce crimes. An 'Urban Labs, U Chicago' study concluded that increased levels of outdoor lighting led to a 36% reduction in "index crimes" such as rape, murder, and robbery (Can Street Lighting Reduce Crime? | UChicago Urban Labs). 

By putting more street lights throughout Woodhouse Moor and the streets surrounding Hyde Park, students and families will be safe to leave their houses after dark.

We cannot let this issue go unnoticed.

Please sign and share this petition and show support for this vital change