Police are responding to concerns felt by women and girls – by sending out specialist patrols to offer reassurance and catch offenders in busy nightlife areas during the festive party season.
More high-visibility officers will be out in the run-up to Christmas, while police in plain clothes will also be deployed to identify anyone displaying inappropriate or predatory behaviour.
The move follows concerns raised in a survey carried out by police to hear more from women and girls on how they felt about their own personal safety.
Feeling safe in the night-time economy was raised as a key worry, leading to an extra focus on violence against women and girls.
This will be factored into the work that usually goes on ahead of Christmas to protect the public and help keep them safe during a busy time of the year for parties and nights out.
Last year Cumbria Police ran the Call It Out survey online, so the force could hear more from women and girls on how they felt about their own personal safety.
More than 2,480 people took part. The data has since been analysed and it is now being used to better inform police services and work with partners.
Detective Inspector Mike Taylor is the Cumbria Police dedicated operational detective inspector overseeing work on the issue of violence against women and girls, known as VAWG.
He said: “We’ve listened to what women and girls have said – and one of the concerns raised in the survey was about being a victim of crime in the night-time economy.
“As a result our general policing operation around Christmas this year will have an extra focus on VAWG so we can address these concerns, provide reassurance and catch offenders.
“Let’s be clear: Feeling unsafe is obviously not an experience exclusive to women and girls and our officers are out there to protect everyone and ensure everyone’s welfare.
“But some of the offences that occur in the night time economy, such as sexual offences and harassment offences, are overwhelmingly committed by males against females.
“The concerns women have about feeling unsafe on a night out merits this extra focus – and our patrols will act accordingly.”
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