Thames Valley Police at forefront of tackling violence against women and girls, says PCC
Matthew Barber says the force has a strong strategy for protecting women
Thames Valley Police is “at the forefront” of efforts to protect women and girls, according to the region’s Police and Crime Commissioner.
Matthew Barber says the force is increasingly using proactive policing to tackle violence and sexual offences, rather than relying solely on investigating crimes after they have been committed.
He said: “Thames Valley is already recognised by the national lead for policing and violence against women and girls as one of the lead forces in terms of being really proactive and imaginative.
“Of course, we can never be complacent. We will never be able to police our way out of these problems, but I think Thames Valley Police is absolutely at the forefront of doing what it can to protect women.”
Preventing offences before they happen
One of the approaches pioneered in the Thames Valley is Project Vigilant, which focuses on catching sexual predators in pubs, bars and nightclubs.
Mr Barber said: “It uses a mixture of highly visible officers in uniform and plain-clothes officers who are there to spot predatory behaviour in and around the night-time economy."
He said plain-clothed officers are looking for anyone targeting women and can then call uniformed officers to intervene.
Project Vigilant began in Thames Valley in 2019 and has since been adopted by more than 20 forces across England and Wales.
Another tactic being used is the force’s new specialist police dogs to target spiking, which Mr Barber believes is a world-first.
The dogs have been trained to detect substances linked to spiking, including drugs which may be carried in small quantities or in liquid form.
Mr Barber said tackling these offences previously been a major challenge for officers.
“Without spotting the substance itself, it’s virtually impossible to identify someone until an offence has already been committed," he said.
“That’s why we need to be as preventative as we can to take these drugs out of circulation.”
He says the dogs also act as a visible deterrent and their deployment means an increased police presence around the night-time economy.
The capability has now been accredited nationally, allowing Thames Valley to share its expertise and training with other police forces interested in introducing similar dogs.
A warning to potential offenders
Mr Barber stressed that violence against women and girls goes beyond offences committed by strangers on nights out.
He said domestic violence is among the biggest areas of demand faced by officers and that, in reality, the greatest risk to women often comes from someone they know.
But he said it is important for police to continue exploring new ways to tackle violence against women and girls.
Mr Barber also gave a warning to anyone committing these types of offences
“The simple message is the police are out there to get you,” he said. “If you’re seeking to cause harm, we will use more and more tactics to find you and bring you to justice.
He added: “If you are a victim, then you should have the confidence to come forward to the police knowing that there will be a real concerted effort to find the perpetrators of these crimes.”