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Police target predatory behaviour over Christmas

BBC PSNI Ch Insp Yvonne McManus in PSNI uniform standing in front of a policing campaign board. She has short blonde hair. BBC
Ch Insp Yvonne McManus said police will have a "reassuring presence" in the city

Plain-clothes officers are to be deployed in bars in Londonderry over Christmas as part of a policing operation targeting predatory sexual behaviour.

A similar operation over Halloween followed a number of sexual assaults on women in the city.

“We need to be really clear about what our priorities are and violence against women and girls is our priority,” Ch Insp Yvonne McManus said.

Last month about 1,000 people attended a rally in the city opposing violence against women and girls after several attacks on women were reported to police.

Pacemaker Show a female police officer on the left and a male officer on the right, both in high-visability vests and flak jackets. Their faces cannot be seen. Pacemaker
Extra police patrols have been ongoing in the city after a number of attacks were reported to police

Speaking to BBC Radio Foyle’s North West Today programme, Ch Insp McManus said protecting women and girls was a policing priority before the launch of the Christmas-specific Operation Season’s Greetings.

“It is just not acceptable if women are out on a night out, or out during the day … or wherever they may be, that they are feeling unsafe or subjected to any sort of predatory behaviour or sexual assaults," she said.

“Our role as police is reassuring women and girls that when they are out and about we are doing our best to make sure they are safe and if they do report something that we follow all lines of enquiry to identify and locate suspects.

“We know it causes real concern within the community, we don’t want women to be victims of sexual offences or any type of crime, we want women in our community to feel safe.”

Extra officers have been deployed in the city in recent weeks following two serious sexual assaults and two reported knifepoint attacks.

Liz Campbell and Collette McCallion stand holing signs at a rally in Derry
Around 1,000 people attended the Guildhall Square rally last month opposing violence against women

Ch Insp McManus said the Christmas operation would focus on bars, hotels and public spaces including transport in the city.

“We will have a reassuring presence in the nightlife hotspots to deter antisocial behaviour and to identify predatory behaviour,” she said.

“Predatory behaviour could be a whole range of things, it could be someone following a women or girl, pestering them, not taking no for an answer, continually following somebody verging into persistent behaviour.

“If you see that, not only if you think you are being subjected to it, if you see it going on, do something about it. Either ring police or approach staff."

The area's police commander also encouraged women to be aware an initiative launched in 2022 for people feeling unsafe on a night out to discreetly signal they need help.

It works by encouraging anyone who feels at risk to ask staff in bars, pubs and clubs to Ask for Angela – that notifies bar staff to situations and allows them to step in.

“I would encourage women and girls on a night out to use that if they are in a space where they need help,” Ch Insp McManus said.