Police in Berkshire reveal results of initiative to target sexual predators
The Project vigilant aims to protect women and girls on nights out
Thames Valley Police has released the latest results of Project Vigilant, an initiative that targets those displaying predatory behaviour in the night-time economy.
The initiative uses a combination of uniformed and plain clothed officers to carry out patrols in public areas outside nightclubs, bars and pubs, to identify people who may be displaying signs of predatory behaviour, such as sexual harassment, inappropriate touching and loitering.
Plain clothed officers who identify this kind of behaviour will contact the dedicated Project Vigilant uniformed officers who will stop those identified and take positive action to discourage and disrupt this behaviour, which may include arrest.
Between 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023, 227 people across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire were stopped as a result of the initiative, with two in five people having prior links to reports related to violence against women and girls. Many of those stopped were displaying behaviours such as unwanted touching or remarks, including leering and catcalling, or had a history of physical and/or sexual violence. Of those 227 people, 23 arrests were made.
Detective Sergeant Kayleigh Livingstone, force operational lead for Project Vigilant, said:
“Project Vigilant continues to develop as an initiative and is a vital tool used by the force to tackle violence against women and girls. We want to disrupt the perpetrators and those looking to cause harm and increase the safety for those people who are out to enjoy a night out.
“As a preventative policing operation, an arrest isn’t always made, as officers will look to intervene before an offence has been committed. Alternative outcomes are often utilised such as words of advice, signposting to the charity Circles South East for additional support or capitalise on other powers available to the police. However, by identifying, educating and disrupting this kind of behaviour, we hope that we see fewer people become victims of sexual violence.
“To measure the effectiveness of the work being done within the Thames Valley, an independent evaluation from the University of Brighton commissioned using Safety of Women at Night (SWAN) funding in 2021, is soon to be published. The evaluation has identified recommendations that are already being applied to Project Vigilant and provides the support to progress our work with partner agencies to make a safer night-time environment.”
Training
As part of their continued commitment to tackling sexual violence, Thames Valley has trained an additional 74 officers in bespoke proactive Project Vigilant tactics, bringing the total number of specially trained officers to 198. The specially trained officers are deployed to all areas across the force. They stress that plain clothed officers will always work in pairs and will only approach members of public if there is an immediate risk to life.
Thames Valley Police also continue to collaborate with forces across the country to help embed the Project Vigilant initiative and share vital information to safeguard the public and identify those wishing to cause harm. There are currently over 20 police forces utilising Project Vigilant tactics or similar.