Met to step up women's safety patrols this summer
The Met Police is women's safety patrols this summer at music events.The force says that as part of their crackdown on violent offenders, officers will be making more of a visible presence at 51 large-scale concerts in London.The patrols kicked off at the Beyoncé concert in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on June 5, the first of 19 more concerts where the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) patrols will take place.Officers say that at the Beyoncé concert they removed individuals for stalking and threatening behaviour, and arrested a man for upskirting who remains on police bail while enquiries continue.This initiative is part of the Met's V100 project which uses data to track and target the most harmful offenders.
The level of risk is assessed using crime reports alongside a tool which measures the seriousness of harm to victims, known as the Cambridge Crime Harm Index.Deputy assistant commissioner Ben Russell, who leads the Met's V100 initiative and is also the lead officer for concerts this summer, said: "Every woman and girl has the right to feel safe, whether walking home, using public transport, or enjoying a night out at a concert. Yet too many still don't. The Met is determined to change that."This summer we are working closer than ever with stadium management and major event organisers to help keep the public safe.
"Dedicated VAWG patrols are taking place at a number of concerts throughout the summer, with officers trained to spot predatory men in crowds and taken action to prevent violence before it happens."Deputy mayor for policing and crime, Kaya Comer-Schwartz, said: "Women and girls deserve to be safe and feel safe wherever they are in the capital and I welcome this action by the Met at summer concerts to prevent violent behaviour, support those in need and take swift action against perpetrators."
For more on this, Deputy assistant commissioner Ben Russell, who leads the Met's V100 initiative will be speaking to Riz Lateef on BBC London's breakfast show at 07:20 BST on 20 June.
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