Policing teams in Bath held a week of action earlier this month to raise awareness of violence against women and girls and drive down the threat of sexual offences.
MP Wera Hobhouse with Chief Constable Sarah Crew | Photo © Avon & Somerset Police
Although crimes against women and girls, including harassment, are experienced all year round and in all settings, the darker evenings in December coupled with seasonal parties create optimal conditions for perpetrators.
The seven days of action, between 2nd and 8th December, resulted in:
- 13 arrests
- 5 drug seizures (including 150 wraps of crack cocaine)
- 1 County Line taken out
- 1 Rambo knife seized
- 35 alcohol licensing visits
- 13 VAWG awareness events
- 7 visits to high-harm victims and offenders with IOM (Integrated Offender Management)
Activity also included the roll-out of Project Vigilant, an initiative Avon and Somerset Police are currently piloting that takes a perpetrator-focused approach to preventing sexual violence.
Adopting Thames Valley Police’s strategy, plain-clothed officers receive specialist training in covert policing to patrol outside bars, clubs and pubs and spot signs of predatory behaviour.
If these behaviours are observed, uniformed officers intervene before the individual commits an offence.
Chief Constable Sarah Crew joined Vigilant-trained officers on the evening of Friday 6th December to support their efforts.
She also met with Liberal Democrat MP for Bath, Wera Hobhouse, to discuss the pilot and the constabulary’s ongoing work to combat VAWG across the force.
Mrs Hobhouse said: “I have long championed the rights of women to go about their lives free from harassment and it is excellent to see Avon and Somerset Police deploying preventive strategies like Project Vigilant in real time out on the streets.
“Proactive approaches such as these will hopefully mean that women in our city can feel safe and protected, particularly as they head into town for parties and celebrations this festive season.
“I was pleased to have the chance to highlight in Parliament Avon and Somerset’s fantastic efforts and I will keep pushing the government to be more ambitious in their plans to tackle street harassment and violence against women and girls.”
In the early hours of Saturday 7th December, a Project Vigilant deployment identified a man loitering and making inappropriate sexual comments.
The covert officers on duty alerted uniformed colleagues who subsequently stopped, spoke to and arrested the suspect for public order and drunk and disorderly offences.
A follow-up plan is now being put in place to address future offending.
Neighbourhood Inspector Dudley Bond said: “Project Vigilant training helps us understand how prolific offenders operate, so we can target resources where they’re most needed and disrupt their behaviour.
“This means women can enjoy the city’s nightlife with the threat of harassment, intimidation and assault reduced, not just in Bath but across the whole of Avon and Somerset.
“It was great to show the Chief Constable and our local MP how we carry out the operation, which we ran over three days last week from late afternoon into the early hours of the morning.”
Throughout the week, officers also visited licensed premises, providing advice and training on bystander intervention so staff can safely intervene where they suspect harassment.
Sessions were also held at Bath College, the University of Bath and Bath Spa University to help students consider their personal safety and that of their friends while on a night out, reflect on their own behaviour, and learn how to be an effective bystander if they witness lewd or threatening behaviour. This includes the importance of male allyship – that is, men calling out other men who behave inappropriately.
Neighbourhood teams organised pop-up ‘Walk and Talks’ in locations identified by community members as areas where they feel unsafe. These sessions were an opportunity to promote Avon and Somerset Police’s Walk and Talk scheme.
During Bath’s popular Christmas market, officers participated in the national counter-terrorism operation Project Servator, providing a reassuring presence to passers-by and keeping a lookout for suspicious or concerning behaviour.
