Lleida will implement three traveling purple points on New Year's Eve to address possible cases of gender violence and LGBTIphobic attacks. These points, which will be attended by teams of two women and one man, seek to be a support resource during one of the most active nights in terms of nightlife. Deputy Mayor Carme Valls has expressed the hope that these points do not need to be used, but she emphasizes the importance of her presence to provide the maximum service possible.
In addition, a diagnosis has been carried out to identify the darkest areas of the city and improve lighting, as well as to increase police surveillance. The Urban Guard, in particular, plans to deploy a minimum of 15 patrols during New Year's Eve, almost double the usual number on a normal weekend.
This is the first time that Lleida will have traveling purple points. However, Valls has recognized that three points are not enough, so psychological care will also be offered throughout the night from the Guàrdia Urbana police station.
The plan for New Year's Eve has been developed in a meeting at the police station with representatives of the SEM, Civil Protection, Mossos d'Esquadra and the Q Nights. The intention of these purple points is to be a reference to report any aggression that may occur.
On the other hand, the Paeria intends to discover and improve dark areas of the city that represent a risk for people returning from partying and feeling unsafe. Once these areas have been identified, there will be dialogue with the Urban Planning area to resolve the deficiencies detected. According to the mayor of the Urban Police, Josep Ramon Ibarz, the typical profile of a victim of a sexist attack is a woman who returns home alone after a night of partying, which underlines the need to reinforce the police presence in these points.
