The aim of Project Vigilant, which is an existing initiative, is to prevent sexual violence in the night-time economy by targeting predatory behaviour.
Currently being trialled by Thames Valley Police, alongside several other forces across the country, specially trained plain-clothed officers are patrolling nightlife hotspots to hunt down predatory behaviour, with uniformed officers then stepping in.
An additional £230,000, provided by the Government, will enable specialist deployments in three police forces, support the trial of new tools, including sniffer dogs trained to detect drugs commonly used in spiking, and help to gather evidence on how the approach works in different settings.
Plan for change
The additional funding is part of the Government’s £53m landmark package to directly target the most dangerous domestic abuse perpetrators as part of its Plan for Change.
Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, Jess Phillips said: “Through our mission to make our streets safer, every penny we invest in holding perpetrators to account is a step towards a better and safer future for every victim.”
Detective Superintendent Jon Capps, head of rape and sexual offences and Project Vigilant at Thames Valley Police, said: “We welcome funding which supports vital proactive initiatives to disrupt those who behave in a predatory manner and offend against women and girls.
“Our Project Vigilant officers are specially trained to spot predatory behaviour, intervening and preventing it escalating into an offence.”
He added: “This year we have conducted 50 Vigilant deployments across the Thames Valley, all of which highlight our commitment to keep people safe, specifically in the night time economy and increasingly with large public events.”
Perpetrators
Michael Kill, CEO, Night Time Industries Association (NTIA): “We understand that predatory behaviour is a pervasive issue within society and must be addressed wherever it occurs—across communities, public spaces, and institutions. Over recent years, the industry has worked hard to drive awareness and put robust mitigations in place - through staff training, use of CCTV, awareness campaigns and strengthened partnerships with key stakeholders and policing.”
Kill added: “The NTIA is committed to supporting the government’s Plan for Change and its goal to halve violence against women within a decade. We will continue working closely with government, policing, and local authorities to embed a perpetrator-focused culture of safety and accountability throughout the night time economy.”
National Pubwatch chairman Steve Baker OBE said: “We welcome news that the Government is taking the safety of women in the late-night economy seriously. We would urge the police to work with local pubwatch schemes to identify and target perpetrators.”
He added: “Our own latest research has found that pubwatch schemes are key to reducing alcohol-related crime and improving the safety of the evening economy.”
The research, conducted by Leeds Beckett University and supported with funding from JD Wetherspoon and Diageo, showed that 86% of licensees, staff, police and those working within organisations such as local authorities, believe that Pubwatches help to create safer drinking environments.
Over half (53%) of those surveyed stated they had actually witnessed a decrease in alcohol-related disorder and anti-social behaviour since the introduction of a Pubwatch scheme. Importantly, over two thirds (68%) agreed that Pubwatch activities increased staff, customer and community safety.
