Our final conversation with ACC Katy Barrow-Grint focuses on the police response to violence against women and girls, specifically discussing Project Vigilant and the policing of domestic abuse.

Katy explains how Project Vigilant was implemented in Oxford to address sexual assaults in the night-time economy.

The plainclothes officers trained to identify potential predators and victims and call for uniformed colleagues to intervene. The success of Project Vigilant led to its national rollout.

The conversation also highlights the book co-authored by Katy Barrow-Grint on policing domestic abuse. She emphasizes the importance of tackling violence against women and girls and the need for multi-agency collaboration and education to prevent such violence.

Takeaways

• Project Vigilant was implemented in Oxford to address sexual assaults in the night-time economy and has been successful in preventing sexual crimes.
• Plainclothes officers are trained to identify potential predators and victims and call for uniformed colleagues to intervene.
• The book co-authored by Katy Barrow-Grint covers various aspects of policing domestic abuse and is a valuable resource for practitioners.
• Tackling violence against women and girls requires multi-agency collaboration and education, particularly in addressing precursor activities and engaging with young people.

Sound Bites

• “Project Vigilant started in 2019 here in Oxford to deal with an increase in sexual assaults in the night-time economy.”
• “40% of the men stopped by plainclothes officers have previous history or intelligence of sexual offending.”
• “Violence against women and girls is a topic dear to my heart, and I’ve been leading efforts in Thames Valley Police for the past two and a half years.”

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and Overview
• 00:38 Project Vigilant: Preventing Sexual Crimes in the Night-time Economy
• 05:18 Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls: Importance of Collaboration and Education
  07:40 Conclusion and Future Directions