Wiltshire Police hosts Swedish officers to tackle sexual violence
International visit focuses on Project Vigilant in Swindon
Swedish police officers have joined their Wiltshire counterparts as part of Project Vigilant to better understand strategies for preventing sexual violence in nightlife settings.
First adopted by Wiltshire Police in 2021, Project Vigilant involves targeted patrols aimed at identifying and preventing aggressive behaviour towards women and girls in hotspot areas.
Assistant Chief Constable Liz Coles emphasised the significance of reducing violence against women and girls in Swindon and Wiltshire, stating it is a primary focus for the force.
Describing the collaboration, Coles said, "We were pleased to welcome colleagues from the Swedish Police Authority, who are seeking to strengthen their approach to tackling public space sexual violence. They identified Wiltshire Police as a force with established experience in delivering Project Vigilant and were keen to learn from our work. During their visit, they observed our methods for identifying and managing risk in public spaces, as well as our strong partnership approach."
On 20th May, 18 officers from Sweden arrived to study Project Vigilant tactics before deploying in Swindon on the 22nd May.
The exercise involved collaboration among different departments, including uniformed officers, plain-clothes officers, the drone unit, and support from local CCTV teams and Royal Military Police.
Inspector Johann Danielsson, Coordinator for Particularly Vulnerable Victims of Crime in Lidingö–Kungsholmen Local Police District, Swedish Police Authority said: “We are very glad and excited to visit our colleagues in England and learn from their experiences and methods developed for Project Vigilant.
“Preventing sexual offences in the night-time economy is an important and prioritised area for us within the Stockholm Police Department. We need to continue to evolve our preventative efforts to ensure that all people can feel safe and secure while enjoying a night out.”
Inspector Cecilia Närfors, Coordinator for Particularly Vulnerable Victims of Crime in the Stockholm Police Region said: “We currently lack a research-based method in Sweden for preventing sexual offences in the night-time economy. That is why we are very pleased to have the opportunity to come to England and bring this approach back to Sweden.”
The cooperation between Wiltshire and Swedish officers underlines the shared commitment to enhancing public safety.
Local police encourage the public to report any predatory behaviour or threatening locations to aid in the effective targeting and prevention of similar incidents.