Longley Park Sixth Form College Awarded With Park Mark(r) Safer Parking Award

Park Mark(r) is awarded to parking facilities that have measures in place to reduce crime and the fear of crime, and that have met the standards of the Safer Parking Scheme, as assessed by the Police.

On presenting the award to the college, David Blunkett commented: "Longley Park Sixth Form College receiving this award is not only great news for the college, but also the wider community. I am encouraged to see that they are leading the way in terms of safer parking management and public safety and security. This means that motorists using the car park can rest assured that Longley College has done the very best it can to create a safe environment for both vehicles and people."

The scheme is managed by the British Parking Association (BPA) on behalf of ACPO (the Association of Chief Police Officers). Mike Whitfield, Safer Parking Scheme development manager (North East) for the BPA said: "This is a significant achievement for Longley Park Sixth Form College. It was obvious at the time of inspection that the college has excellent management practices in place that will help to maintain the high standards required to achieve the Park Mark(r) award. The Safer Parking Scheme is open to any parking facility owner/operator, and achieving the Park Mark(r) award is a great way to tell your customers that you take their safety, and the safety of their vehicle, seriously."

Paul Ashdown, principal of Longley Park, stated: "It is important for us to ensure that we provide a friendly and safer environment for both staff and students to work in. We make sure that we follow best practice in the design and management of our buildings - receiving the Park Mark(r) award is a recognition of this."

What is the Safer Parking Scheme?

An initiative of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), aimed at reducing crime and the fear of crime in parking areas. This initiative is much needed, as vehicle crime accounts for a high percentage of all crime (up to 20%), and it is estimated that 22% of vehicle crime occurs in parking areas1. The Safer Parking Scheme works at reducing crime. Certain parking facilities that have received the Park Mark(r) Safer Parking Award have seen a drop in vehicle-related crime of over 80%1.

The Park Mark(r) Safer Parking Award is granted to parking areas that have achieved the requirements of a risk assessment as conducted by the Police. These requirements mean the parking operator has put in place measures that help to deter criminal activity and anti-social behaviour, thereby doing everything they can to prevent crime and reduce the fear of crime in their parking area.

For customers, using a Park Mark(r) Safer Parking area means that the area has been vetted by the Police and has measures in place in order to create a safe environment.

To find out where your nearest Park Mark(r) car park is visit www.saferparking.com, or if you are a parking facility operator and would like more information about joining the scheme, call 0870 2408 489.

About the BPA

The British Parking Association is a non-profit making organisation set up in 1967 to bring together the interests of government, local government, commercial organisations and the general public. As the recognised authority within the parking industry, the BPA represents, promotes and influences the best interests of the parking and traffic management sectors throughout the UK and Europe. The BPA aims to advance both knowledge and standards of management within areas as diverse as planning, design, enforcement, construction and the maintenance of all types of parking and traffic control.