Police 'we want you to report any concerning behaviour to help us build up an intelligence picture'
The chief constable says women should not have to alter their behaviour to keep safe
Devon and Cornwall Police is using undercover officers as part of efforts to reduce violence against women and girls - as it urges more people to report concerning behaviours.
The force is launching a new campaign, called Project Nighteye, to highlight the types of behaviour it wants reported to help officers build up intelligence.
Chief Constable James Vaughan said: "It's absolutely not the responsibility of women and girls to alter their behaviour in order to protect themselves when they are out in public spaces.
"We've increased the presence of the police so there is a visible policing presence in our cities and towns - particularly around our university towns and cities.
"Some of those officers will be in plain clothes, watching from discreet locations and looking out for predators. Please don't worry about reporting things to us as you won't be wasting our time."
Rape survivor Siobhan, not her real name who now works as a Devon & Cornwall Police call handler, said: "I honestly feel that if a scheme like Nighteye had existed when I was raped it might have been prevented."
She was followed during a night out in Plymouth and added: "It is really important it when men are behaving suspiciously or if they feel uncomfortable in a situation.
"This information will hopefully help the police intervene and prevent other people going through what I did."
She reflects: "It is very difficult to make that call, as when I did the call myself after what happened to me, I rang 101 thinking that it happened the evening before as I was like 'well, I can't ring 999'. Actually, I was told later on that I could have rung 999 as it was a serious incident.
"Having had the experience myself I can certainly hear and almost feel what they are feeling because I've been there so to me it's all about making sure they know they have the time - I have all the time in the world for them - they can take as long or as little time as they need to tell me their story."
The force say behaviours of concern include making unwanted contact, isolating women from their friends, following or stalking and 'loitering or persistently returning to a venue/area after being asked to leave'.
This month both plain clothed and uniformed officers increased patrols as students return to universities in places like Exeter and Plymouth.
Sector inspector Nathan Johnson, who leads the Exeter team and has a daughter who is starting university this year, said: “We know that many students moving to the area may not have lived independently, away from family or friends before, and we’ll be working hard to make sure they feel safe here.
“We will continue to carry out patrols, offering safety advice and looking out for individuals displaying concerning behaviour as part of our commitment to tackle violence against women and girls.”
As well as looking for predatory behaviour the force is also looking for drink spiking, with Inspector Johnson adding: "While the number of reported incidents of spiking is very low, we’re aware that some students have concerns and we want to make sure they know that we take reports seriously.
“Spiking can happen to anyone. We know it can be scary to report being spiked, but we are here to help. If you believe you may have been spiked, please report it to us by calling 101 or using the form on the police website. We need to know about every possible spiking so that we can investigate. If anyone is in immediate danger, always call 999.”
For more information about spiking and how to report it click here