Police in Watford have piloted a national safety initiative that proactively targets perpetrators of sexual predatory behaviour in the town’s night-time economy.

The aim of Project Vigilant is to identify and intercept those who may be displaying concerning behaviour, to protect the public and prevent sexual offences from occurring.

To achieve this, specially trained plain-clothed and uniformed police officers patrol public areas outside nightclubs, bars and pubs. The plain-clothed officers integrate themselves among the public and highlight anyone of concern before their uniformed counterparts take positive action – which may include arrest. Examples of the predatory behaviour officers are looking out for include sexual comments, inappropriate touching, and loitering.

Since Hertfordshire began its pilot in May this year, 18 people of interest have been stopped across six deployments – all of whom were subject to a thorough risk assessment and intelligence checks.

The team’s most recent deployment was on Saturday 25 November – also known as White Ribbon Day, an international call for the elimination of violence against women and girls. This marked the beginning of 16 days of action against domestic abuse. The Project Vigilant launch also complements the constabulary’s annual Operation Advisory campaign in the lead up to the festive period, which educates on topics including consent, drink spiking and personal safety.

David Lloyd, Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire, said: “Tackling violence against women and girls remains a top priority for my office, the constabulary and partners. Project Vigilant is a proven tactic which can keep people safe and is a vital part of Prevention First, which aims to prevent crimes from happening. Recently my office secured substantial Safer Streets funding from the Home Office to enable this project to also be rolled out in Hertford to cover their vibrant night-time economy.”

Watford Chief Inspector Andy Wiseman said: “Watford has always enjoyed a thriving night-time economy, but partners and I know that with this can often bring challenges in the form of crime and anti-social behaviour. Our town was chosen for the Hertfordshire pilot of Project Vigilant due to high nighttime footfall, and we’re now running regular deployments with specially trained officers after initial mentorship from our colleagues in Thames Valley Police.

“During our very first deployment in May this year, plain-clothed officers noticed a male paying particular attention to a heavily intoxicated female on The Parade. After being stopped by uniformed officers, the male claimed the female was his girlfriend but after further questioning and roadside checks, it became apparent that this was not the case. The male was arrested and taken into custody, and the female was safeguarded.

“By its very nature, it can be hard to measure the success of an initiative like Project Vigilant, but I strongly believe that we prevented a woman being attacked that night. The impact of rape and sexual assault is all too often far-reaching and life-long, which is why this type of work is so critical. Everyone has a right to feel and be safe when they’re enjoying a night out.”