This article contains content relating to rape and sexual assault which some readers may find distressing
The Lord Mayor, Kevin Mitchell, plays a civic role and is an overarching figure that represents the city and its interests. Laura Wright, the Deputy Leader, is a portfolio holder and she is involved in the strategic power, working for the Exeter City Council. Exeposé got an opportunity to ask them both questions about students and how they fit into the community’s life and safety of citizens in general.
Could you start by introducing yourself briefly?
Lord Mayor: I could be described as the first citizen of Exeter. The Lord Mayor gets appointed each year by the thirty nine fellow city councillors and chairs before council meetings. Another part of the job is meeting and greeting individuals that come to the city. I have my own charity for the year as well – FORCE (a local cancer charity) is the one I chose this year. I go around and promote business, charity, and the voluntary sector. I would describe myself as a figurehead that goes to many events and meets people. The main thing I do is saying ‘thank you’, which is an amazing thing to do.
Deputy Leader: I am councillor Laura Wright, I am the Deputy Leader of the council. I am a board member for St Thomas and I have city centre strategy and corporate services in my portfolio, I am also the councillor champion for safety of women and girls.
What have you been enjoying most about your job and how do you feel about Exeter?
Lord Mayor: I like thanking people for what they do for the city. Exeter is far more diverse than what it used to be. I’ve enjoyed events organised by international groups, for example by people from Hong Kong or Ukraine. They add something different to our community and I take pleasure in learning more about new cultures. As my day job is a nurse, I meet people working within the NHS. I am surrounded by colleagues from all over Europe and the world which is an enriching experience. Diversity is something that we should treasure.
Deputy Leader: I love Exeter. I came here from London when I was 10 years old. Then I went to live in Torbay for a while and came back to Exeter. I’ve been here for around 40 years and I love this city as it’s very diverse and I get an opportunity to meet people from different economical, social and geographical backgrounds. I am very proud of Exeter, which has always been a bit of a stronghold for fighting for civil rights and protesting in a very polite way. If there’s an issue the city comes together.
Students may sometimes feel like they do not fit into the local community. Do you think there are any solutions for better student integration in our city?
Lord Mayor: There has always been an issue in terms of the University and the city. Some perceive that there is a divide there. In reality that shouldn’t be the case. The University brings a huge amount to our city financially and the impact that it brings is absolutely amazing in terms of the prestige of the city. The University promotes Exeter around the world. The students that come to live here contribute to how diverse it is, and they add to the vibrancy and fuel the nightlife. That’s what can sometimes cause a divide with some residents because student life differs from the 9 to 5 work life. Things could certainly be improved in terms of integration of students. A lot of residents associations within the area that I represent reach out to students when they initially come and explain some of the things that students wouldn’t necessarily know, such as the bin collection dates. That’s what we need more of and that’s what would break down the barriers that sometimes exist.
Are there any events organised by Exeter’s local community that are targeted at students to make them more involved?
Lord Mayor: There are not many citywide events, but rather local ones. Some associations within the city host welcoming events. Powderham Crescent Residents association hosts an event in a park that they have there and also events happen within Queens Crescent Gardens at the beginning of terms. I would say that there is room for improvement in communication between the Students’ Guild and local communities. It’s of vital importance that we do have that integration as we can give so much to each other. Moving away from home and becoming an independent person can feel daunting and having those supportive figures around you within the community is of great importance.
According to a Freedom of Information request done by Exeposé, instances of sexual assault and rape reached 189 by September in EX4, already surpassing reports from all of 2023. What has the city been doing to ensure maximum safety of the victims?
Lord Mayor: Community Safety Partnership that the University is involved in as well have had discussions on how we can approach that issue. CCTV has been enhanced within the city and in student areas particularly, for instance Longbrook Street and Pennsylvania Road as it is one of the routes that lead from the campus to the city centre. There is also a security team at the University as well that can be approached for any issues or concerns. The local policing team makes themselves known at the beginning term at the Welcome Week. I would encourage anyone to reach out to them if they have any concerns.
Deputy Leader: Safety of people is a partnership approach. In the past a lot of responsibility fell to the police only and the council isn’t involved in policing but has to focus on finding different solutions. We have put in lots of new CCTV cameras all over the city. We worked out how to budget to get more staff in 2020. I did personally put in a lot of work in that, looking at rotas for staffing to work out a more efficient use of staff. We were able to get more grants for more CCTV. All of our CCTV operatives are fully trained by the police at being able to spot potential sexual assaults. Only a couple of weeks ago one of our operatives managed to identify someone who was wanted by the police for a sexual assault and that person was arrested. Unfortunately the crime had already been committed. I’m convinced had he not been apprehended and arrested, he would have gone on to commit another crime. Being able to measure the data and say how many crimes we stopped from happening is difficult. Also we have yellow signs all around the city up on the lamp posts. If you think you are being followed, there is a phone number provided and you can quote the camera number underneath and the camera will focus on that exact area and police will be contacted. We have supported the Safe Space being opened which is operating at the moment and needs funding. There is a medical team there and people to talk to. The police are doing loads of initiatives where they are undercover, watching people that are acting suspiciously, with regard to potential sexual crime. I’m concerned about the rise in the figures from last year. There has to be more research. When you get data you must find out what the reason for it is. One reason could be that more women are feeing safe to report sexual assault. As women and allies, we all know that it has historically been difficult and not always productive for a woman to report on a sexual assault .The figure of sexual assaults that were reported and have gone through to conviction are low in Devon and Cornwall.
Following the recent closure of the tapas restaurant on Fore Street due to xenophobic attacks, what can be done in our city and what type of actions can be taken against this type of crime?
Lord Mayor:
Deputy Leader: I asked the police to expand on the story that has been reported. As it is an ongoing investigation, I cannot be too specific. When you get to think about protection of people that are in minorities, Exeter as a population are people that are involved in activism and come out to speak out against racism or injustice. There is a rise in less inclusive politics across the globe, for example in America. A real challenge before thinking about physically protecting people is collectively rejecting negative, harmful thoughts before they escalate. When it comes to actually committing hate crime, I do believe that Devon and Cornwall Police do need to be better at it. If the data of reported hate crimes is low, you could then say, and I heard that said in relation to this on the police force, “we don’t think we have an issue with hate crime because the data of it being reported is quite low.” Similar as with sexual assault, it takes a lot of courage to report a crime to the police. There is more work to do in that matter.
Do you have a final message that you would like to tell students?
Lord Mayor: You’re welcome here. You’re extremely valued here. Students add to the vibrancy and the diversity of our city. Welcome, enjoy our city and take part in our local life as well. Do try to embed yourselves within the community. It would be wonderful to see more students at mayoral and civic events around the city.
Deputy Leader:
If there is anything we can do as a council, just approach us. We are here to represent you as well as the longer term residents.
