The local police force has launched a new initiative aimed at protecting residents from predatory behaviour, with a particular focus on preventing sexual violence against women and girls.
The Vigilant Communities scheme encourages the public to report suspicious behaviour and involves Wiltshire Police working in collaboration with neighbourhood policing teams, local authorities, CCTV operators, businesses and community groups. Each partner will receive training on how to identify and report signs of predatory behaviour.
Sgt Gemma Rutter from Melksham Police said, “I would like to urge people in the community to work with us; we can never have too much community intelligence, and anyone with concerns should contact us on 101 or through our website, mentioning ‘Vigilant Communities.’”
The scheme also aims to protect residents using the town in the evening, especially when on nights out, and to safeguard women and girls from harm.
“Everyone in our communities should be able to feel safe, and we are working closely with licensed premises to make nights out in Melksham enjoyable for everyone,” explained Sgt Rutter.
“We want to make it clear that those intent on causing harm, particularly to women and girls, should be in no doubt that we are targeting them. We do this through partnerships, planning, and both high-visibility and covert patrols. We have also been working with the town council to secure CCTV installation.
“We want to drive down sexual violence and make our Wiltshire streets a hostile place for predators to operate.
“If you have been the victim of a crime, you can report it online or by calling 101. Always call 999 in an emergency or if a sexual assault has just occurred.
“If you feel uncomfortable on a night out in Wiltshire, you can also ‘Ask for Angela’ at participating venues, where staff will be trained to offer you support.
“You can also use the government’s online tool ‘StreetSafe’ to flag areas on a map where you don’t feel safe, from poorly lit walkways to instances of public harassment, regardless of whether a crime has taken place.”
