Police step up action in bid to stop violence against women

South Devon police have been stepping up their fight to tackle violence against women and girls.
Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner say they are committed to combatting the violence wherever it happens - not least on a night out, which everyone should be able to enjoy without fear of crime.
This has led to the creation of Project NightEye, a policing approach that makes the evening and night-time a hostile environment for men intent on harassment, or sexual or physical violence.
NightEye has been used in selected locations this summer, and learning from these deployments will be assessed and used to refine the project prior to it being used in even more locations across Devon and Cornwall.
Project NightEye is supported by Devon & Cornwall’s Serious Violence Prevention Programme and specifically targets potential male perpetrators of violence against women and girls.
The aim is to prevent sexual and other crimes by proactively identifying predatory sexual behaviour and intervening to prevent this escalating to an offence.
This could include groups or individual men, either on foot or in vehicles, loitering for no reason. It could include men making unwanted contact towards women, attempting to isolate women from their friends on a night out or making lewd or sexual comments. Local police officers actively work in collaboration with partners, such as venue and security staff to identify and target potential offenders.
One tactic used within Project NightEye is Project Vigilant, involving specially trained officers (either in plain clothes or uniform) patrolling outside bars and clubs, between specific times and in places identified to be more likely to have crimes reported.
Thames Valley Police successfully trialled the Project Vigilant tactic in 2019 in Oxford - it showed a reduction in sexual offending of 30 per cent and a reduction in rapes by 50 per cent in the evening and night-time economy. Devon & Cornwall Police is now looking to emulate this success.
To support Project NightEye, training has also been delivered to CCTV operators in identifying predatory sexual behaviour.
Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Steve Parker said: “Everyone can help make public spaces safer by reporting suspicious or unacceptable behaviour to the police, so if you see something that doesn’t look right or makes you feel uncomfortable, please let us know through our online reporting forms, or submit anonymously though Crimestoppers. This helps Devon & Cornwall Police to target where and when Project NightEye is used.”
Members of the public can also use the StreetSafe app, available for both iPhone and Android devices.
The app allows anyone to anonymously report public places where they have felt unsafe for whatever reason, such as being followed or verbally abused. The information it provides is invaluable to the police for building a picture of where best to deploy their resources, and for partner agencies to consider if any environmental improvements can be made.
T/ACC Parker added: “With police, partners and the public working together, it is imperative that we call out, target and robustly manage criminal offending that disproportionately affects women and girls.”