IF you attended the annual Marlborough Mop this weekend, you may have noticed a number of high visibility patrols being carried out by Wiltshire Police - the aim of which was to make the Wiltshire streets a hostile environment for sexual predators.
Uniformed and plain clothed police officers have been patrolling the annual Marlborough Mop this weekend in efforts to keep people safe.
High visibility patrols were carried out by our Neighbourhood Policing Teams alongside specially trained officers targeting the night-time economy looking for perpetrator behaviours which are often displayed before a sexual offence takes place.
Project Vigilant teams proactively target individuals displaying risk behaviours defined by guidance received from the National Crime Agency, such as sexual harassment, loitering without reason and stalking behaviour.
Happily, the event took place with no arrests necessary.
Detective Inspector Troy Smith said: "My officers did spot some risk behaviours and spoke to several men over the course of the evening but no arrests were necessary. We will occasionally stop people who may appear to display risk factors but after a conversation it becomes clear that they are in the area for a lawful purpose.
"I'd like to thank the public who reacted positively to being approached at the Mop. They engaged well with us and understood what we were trying to achieve.
“We were looking to identify anybody who showed signs of potential predatory behaviour and intervene before they might go on to commit a sexual offence.
"We want to engage with perpetrators to make them aware that their behaviour is unacceptable or could be quite alarming and distressing to other members of the public.
"It's really important to us that women and girls do feel safe and are able to go out and enjoy a night out without fear of being sexually harassed or assaulted. The aim of Project Vigilant is to make the Wiltshire streets a hostile environment for sexual predators."
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