Aberdeen has retained the prestigious Purple Flag award for city centre safety for the 10th year in a row.
The Granite City is the only city in Scotland to hold the award, while over 70 cities in the rest of the UK and Ireland also hold one.
It was awarded following an inspection of the city on March 24, which included visiting the newly revamped Union Terrace Gardens, as well as the Merchant Quarter and Shiprow.
The assessment process also included a discussion with businesses, a briefing with police, and a meeting with the Street Pastors and taxi marshals.
Judges also highlighted the location of CCTV and the city’s “robust and strong” licensing system as particularly good points.
How safe is Aberdeen City centre?
The safety of people in Aberdeen, especially women, has received more attention after the shocking murder of Jill Barclay in Dyce in September.
In March, a survey by The Press and Journal found 90% of women say they feel unsafe in Aberdeen compared to 27% of men.
It also uncovered a worrying number of people who’ve experienced disturbing behaviour, most commonly in the city centre.
Around four in 10 (40.9%) have been followed or stalked, with a similar number of 137 people being on the receiving end of unwelcome touching (40.7%).
A total of 45.7% of participants recalled experiencing unwelcome sexual advances.
And other common occurrences have included people being leered/stared at (69.7%), sexual comments/jokes (58.5%), and being catcalled or wolf-whistled (57%).
Among the top settings in which people said they feel most vulnerable at night, public transport was the most common worry.
Aberdeen has been experiencing a taxi shortage since the fleet fell by over a quarter in 2020.
Anti-social behaviour from youths in Union Square shopping centre and at Union Terrace Gardens has also been a frequent occurrence.
‘Aberdeen one of the safest cities in the UK’
The police have often come under scrutiny for how they respond to Aberdeen’s safety challenges and have welcomed the award as an “outstanding achievement”.
Chief Inspector David Paterson of Police Scotland said: “I am incredibly proud of the combined efforts of partners in securing the accreditation.
“We have always taken pride in the strong partnership working within the city centre. We work closely with bars, nightclubs, restaurants and other businesses to ensure the safety of those who enjoy our night-time economy.
“Our city centre policing team work hard all year to reduce the potential for any serious and violent incidents ensuring that Aberdeen continues to be one of the safest cities in the UK.”
What does the Purple Flag award mean for Aberdeen?
The Purple Flag was overseen by the business improvement body Aberdeen Inspired.
A similar process is also operated with the Green Flag award for parks and the Blue Flag for beaches.
Managed by the Association of Town & City Management (ACTM), the Purple Flag accreditation aims to raise the standard and broaden the appeal of town and city centres between the hours of 5pm to 5am.
Ojay McDonald, chief executive of the ACTM, praised the city for its partnership work.
He said: “Aberdeen is emerging as a world leader in our Purple Flag network for partnership when it comes to providing a safe and welcoming environment.
“The partnership overwhelmingly exceeds the required standards we set with effective work in responding to antisocial behaviour and vacant shops in the city centre in a time of economic challenges across the country.
“The co-location of key infrastructure and stakeholders such as CCTV, council enforcement and the police shows a clear determination to ensure Aberdeen is one of the UK’s best managed cities at night.”
The award comes just weeks after Our Union Street was launched, a new community-led initiative to re-energise Aberdeen’s Union Street.
Conversation