Lights for Liberty Campaign Launch

The students of Manchester need a safe place to call home. Over the years, the students of Manchester Metropolitan University and The University of Manchester have populated the majority (65%) of Fallowfield and its surrounding areas: Rusholme, Levenshulme and Withington.

One of the issues with one area being filled with young people from all over the country with new disposable income and an unconscious unawareness of independent living; is that they are an easy target. Students are often seen as vulnerable and careless, and it is due to this that they have become the main targets for crime in the dark, unprotected streets of Fallowfield. 

Through conducted surveys from the residents themselves, it has become clear that they do not feel safe, with 20% of them being a victim to crime during their first year of residency. Now, it can’t all be blamed on the lack of street lighting in the area. There are other factors that must come into account. One of the main issues – the residents feel – is still the lack of police presence or visible security measures in place. This has been improved over the years thanks to petitions such as ‘Greater Manchester Police & Andy Burnham: help us to make Fallowfield safe for students!’ organised by Matthew Harvison. 

But we are still not where we want to be, entering a new decade. Students have accepted their fate, they have accepted the fact that ‘yes’ they will come to university in Manchester and have an amazing time, but, they are going to get burgled at some point. Due to the consistency of crimes in Fallowfield, students have become to believe it is just a part of university life. It is not and should never be considered ‘the usual’ to have crime inflicted on you in your own home. 

Visit our campaign website for more information: https://lights4libertycampaign.wordpress.com/

Our Aim

Improving how safe students feel is not just going to take one measure. But, gradually changing the parts affecting this will hopefully improve the lives of residents in Fallowfield for the coming years. We would like to start with the street light issue. Crimes can be committed in any lighting, but the number of crimes that go unresolved due to not being able to find or identify the criminal is a great injustice. A burglar is a lot less likely to break into your house if they know they can definitely be seen.

We all want to feel safe in our own home. Students studying in Manchester mostly populate the Fallowfield area. Fallowfield is a dark and scary place where a lot of crime takes place, primarily to the students who are continuous victims of break-ins and robbery.

Installing more street lamps onto residential roads will not only give the students peace of mind but also, there will be fewer shadows of darkness for the criminals to lurk in. University is meant to be the time in your life where you feel most free, you become the person you were destined to be. How can anyone expect you to do that if you are constantly worried about crime? 

What we want to do is raise awareness of this issue with signatures. Then, once it has been established as a public issue, the council will be forced to pay attention.