Mayor of Manchester has pledged to tackle rising crime in Fallowfield

Mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham, has pledged to take a stand against the rising crime rate in student areas Fallowfield and Rusholme in response to concerns raised by Manchester students.

"I recognise the threat that students could face in those areas and we have to do something about it," Mayor Burnham said in response to a concerned student at the Youth Politics UK, last month.

He added "there isn't enough police presence in parts of Greater Manchester."

This isn't the first time Burnham has met with students regarding their concerns about the safety of Fallowfield, the Mayor also met with female students during the Reclaim the Night march in February of this year. Students aired their grievances as they felt they "didn't feel safe."

Last month The Tab Manchester published an article describing how cuts to police presence of 23 per cent since 2010 may have a possible link with the rising crime rates in Fallowfield and surrounding areas.

It was reported in January that Mayor Andy Burnham was seeking to mitigate the effects of government cuts to police budgets by raising council taxes.

However, the government insists that police cuts are not the cause of rising crime and have stated that it is up to the GMP to "sort it out."

With regards to student safety, the GMP and the Manchester Cit Council have been working with the Student Unions of the University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University, and the University of Salford as well as Manchester Student Homes. They discuss initiatives to keep students safe as well as sharing information with one another.

Representatives of the University of Manchester's Student Union claim that "student safety is always a top priority" and cite that there are numerous ways that the Union seeks to educate students regarding how to deal with crime and avoid being victims themselves.

The Student Union also works with the The GMP to give talks to students at the beginning of each academic year as well as instituted student patrols around Universities and accomodations.

It is estimated that students bring up to £10,000 of valuables with them to University and is recommended that students register these valuables on immobilise.com. It is also helpful to know your mobile phone’s IMEI number, which can be found by dialing *#06#.

Approximately one in ten students in Manchester will become a victim of a crime. But it does't have to be you, click here for more information on how to reduce your chances of being a victim of theft and keep yourself safe.

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