By Jade Neville
When I reflect on my journey in the parking industry, I see that giving back to the community is not just a nice to have, it’s a necessity. Parking is more than infrastructure; it’s about people, safety, and progress. My experiences with the British Parking Association and Women in Parking have shown me that mentorship and inclusion can transform careers and create safer, more responsive public spaces.
Community-focused initiatives are the foundation of public trust and operational excellence. By investing in people and partnerships, we reduce friction between enforcement and the public, improve compliance, and elevate the reputation of the parking sector. These efforts don’t just benefit the industry; they create systems that work better for everyone.
It’s all in the numbers
The urgency for these systems is underscored by data released last December by LiveView Technologies: Nearly one-third (32%) of U.S. women say that fears about parking lot safety influence their decision to shop in person, and more than half (54%) of people surveyed feel the least safe in parking areas compared to other retail spaces.
Parking structures are a leading concern, with 59% of women and 47% of men feeling least safe in parking lots and garages, compared to just 17% who feel unsafe inside retail stores. Lighting is a critical issue, with 69% of women and 56% of men identifying poor lighting as their top parking lot safety concern. These findings highlight that safety in parking spaces is not a side issue; it’s central to how people engage with public life.
The challenge extends beyond parking. In the U.K., 49% of women surveyed said they had felt threatened while using public transport, and 44% actively avoid certain modes of travel due to safety concerns, according to “Transport Champions for Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls: Recommendations to make our transport networks safer for women and girls,” a report released in 2022 by Transport for West Midlands, the provider of public transportation in the English county the West Midlands. Alarmingly, only 14% of those who experienced sexual harassment on transport networks reported the incident.
These figures underscore the urgent need for safer, more inclusive public spaces and highlight the role parking and transport professionals can play in driving that change.
Behavior is infrastructure, too
It’s easy to think of safety in terms of lighting, cameras, or signage. Yes, those things matter. But they’re only part of the puzzle. Safety isn’t just about the built environment; it’s about how people act within it.
That’s where active bystanders come in. Being an active bystander means not looking away when something feels off. It means stepping in, speaking up, offering support, or escalating. It doesn’t require confrontation; it requires confidence. When someone feels seen and supported, it shifts the entire atmosphere. It says: You’re not alone.
In 2017, the organization known as the Safer Sounds Partnership, which promotes safety within the U.K. events and music industry, introduced its Welfare and Vulnerability Engagement (WAVE) training. The WAVE training aims to raise awareness of vulnerable populations and teach members of the industry how and when to intervene to offer protection.
Separately, the Lincolnshire County Council developed the “Ask for Angela” initiative, which was designed to help keep women safe on a night out in a bar or nightclub. Women who felt unsafe, vulnerable, or threatened could discreetly seek help by approaching a staff member at a participating venue and asking them for “Angela.”
Embedding these kinds of action into parking teams through training is transformative. It turns staff from passive observers into confident supporters. It ensures safety isn’t left to chance but is intentionally woven into the way we manage public spaces.
The human side of safety
Over the past few years, I have seen firsthand how frontline parking teams can make a real difference. In the U.K. cities of Oxford and Reading, parking enforcement officers have undergone WAVE training. Originally developed for the hospitality industry, the Ask for Angela campaign was first deployed to the streets in the U.K. in collaboration with Thames Valley Police and The Safer Business Network, as civil enforcement officers were trained to spot when someone might be at risk and respond with care.
The program uses scenarios drawn from real-life transport situations, with modules tailored to the unique environments our teams face. Just as importantly, it emphasizes building emotional confidence alongside procedural knowledge. This means staff are prepared not only to follow a checklist, but to engage with people in a way that reassures and protects them.
Although the Ask for Angela campaign exists in the U.S., it hasn’t reached the same scale. I believe U.S. cities could replicate this model, as civil enforcement officers are often the eyes and ears of the street. Empowering them can make a real difference.
Leading change together
The evidence is clear: In the United States, many shoppers avoid poorly lit parking lots, while in the United Kingdom nearly half of women report feeling threatened on public transport and many change their travel choices as a result. Safety concerns are shaping how people move, spend, and connect. These are not side issues. They are central to public life.
Frontline teams in Oxford and Reading have shown how simple shifts in training can have outsized effects. These examples prove that when we invest in people, we create safer, more welcoming environments for everyone.
Real safety is not reactive. It is intentional. It is visible in how we train, design, and lead. When we get it right, parking stops being the forgotten edge of a journey and becomes the foundation of reassurance.
JADE NEVILLE is a director for the Alliance for Parking Data Standards (APDS), technology representative on the Council of Representatives at the British Parking Association, and the sales operations and marketing manager for Trellint. She can be reached at [email protected].
