Southside Birmingham – the district which covers the Chinese Quarter and LGBTQ+ village – announced on Facebook that “After years of campaigning for better safety, new cameras were installed throughout our Gay Village this week, with further upgrades happening all over the district.”
This news, welcomed in the LGBTQ+ community, comes after a spate of homophobic assaults in the area were reported. Southside added that more cameras were due soon on Essex Street, Inge Street and other locations. Plus, the police still have a pop-up police station on Hurst Street and “at busy periods there are Southside wardens who ensure police officers patrol and have information on the Gay Village.”
They explain: “We take the safety of our customers very seriously and we are also working on safe walking routes, better lighting and easier crime reporting tools. It’s a never-ending job in a busy city, but we won’t stop. We love our Gay Village.”