Police clamp down on city's predatory men

TAKING 'EVERY STEP' TO KEEP WOMEN AND GIRLS SAFE

- CARL EVE

IN the wake of a series of appalling incidents in Plymouth which brought the issue of violence against women and girls to the fore, local police teams are using a range of tactics to clamp down on predatory men.

The horrific murder of BobbiAnne McLeod, the mass shooting in Keyham, and a series of terrifying murders and sexual assaults on women in the last few years highlighted the need for action, resulting in the creation of a Plymouth Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Commission and the appointment of a Violence Against Women and Girls Commission lead.

However, action on the ground has not been neglected and local police teams have been working closely with partner agencies and local businesses to create a safe environment, where people don’t feel at risk of becoming a victim of crime. The team have a particular emphasis on ensuring that women and girls feel safe, as information shows its females who feel most vulnerable.

They have continued to employ Project Vigilant which was first used in Oxford by Thames Valley Police and saw officers patrol alleyways, side streets and parks around the pubs and clubs of Thames Valley’s major conurbations, while also upskilling the security staff of venues so they could better tackle such behaviour themselves, rather than leave the problem just to the police.

The project also saw specially trained male and female officers go ‘undercover’ to seek out the predatory men in the city’s clubs and bar, putting them on the back foot and fearing the person they are targeting may not be as vulnerable as they hoped.