‘City a dangerous place to walk – even in daylight’
BUT READERS DIVIDED OVER TOWN CENTRE SAFETY
SOME Nottingham residents feel “frightened” walking around the city centre, with others saying they “do not feel safe” even in broad daylight.
Post readers have had their say after editor Natalie Fahy expressed her views in an opinion piece this week.
Natalie explained how the increasing presence of “balaclava and mask-clad young people loitering in corners or walking too close” sets her on edge.
It is not everyone’s view, however, with one reader responding: “I haven’t seen any of the above.” But the majority agreed. One man told Natalie she was “so right” as he went on to describe Nottingham as a “dangerous place to walk in, even during daylight hours”.
A former pub manager described the city as a “horrible place to live”.
She explained that, in the 1990s, when she was in the pub trade, she felt safe, but that now, it was a different story.
“I do not feel safe in broad daylight just going about my normal business. “Everybody seems so aggressive – gangs of youths everywhere. I don’t feel safe crossing the road even with the green man on because traffic may stop, but electric bikes, scooters, skateboards go straight through – not only risking their own lives but almost knocking people flying.”
She then recalled a concerning event in which a youth threw a bottle at a car for honking its horn at him, despite him trying to cross the road after the green man had gone. She said: “I am frightened of making eye contact with anybody so usually walk looking towards the ground but why should I? People storm along fixed on mobile phone screens, not looking where they are going and don’t apologise when they walk into you.” Another man disagreed with the view Nottingham is unsafe however. Speaking on masked and hooded youths, he said: “I don’t know where you are walking but I haven’t seen any of the above in weeks, and the last time it was one youngster, and I too work in the city centre.” But the majority shared Natalie’s views.
A retired police officer said he agreed “100 percent”, explaining: “When I walked the beat, I made sure there was no antisocial behaviour.
“Any that I came across was very quickly stopped. If the person didn’t listen, they were arrested for breach of the peace. All very noisy vehicles – from exhausts or loud music – were given a FPT (fixed penalty ticket). Within three months they were all off the road. We need police back on the beat, and enforcing the law.”
A former inner-city teacher said she “always enjoyed” going into Nottingham in the past, but now meets friends in Sherwood to avoid the city centre.
The woman, in her late 70s, blamed society for treating “youngsters who don’t go to university like second-class citizens”.
She said: “Venturing into town is now very much a rarity for me. Too many young and bored unemployed. It’s really not their fault. Our society has made youngsters who don’t go to uni feel like secondclass citizens.
“We desperately need plumbers, bricklayers and electricians. Until we value all our young people we will have even more problems of unrest.”
Another resident said: “The wife and I do not go in the city centre now. We like to go shopping in town to M&S for new clothes but are scared to go on the bus into town.”
Until we value all our young people we will have even more problems of unrest
Former teacher