Londonderry Police to Deploy Undercover Officers to Combat Predatory Behavior During Christmas

Undercover police personnel will be stationed in Londonderry bars during the Christmas period as part of a law enforcement initiative aimed at addressing predatory sexual conduct. This initiative mirrors a similar operation conducted during Halloween, which was implemented after multiple reports of sexual assaults against women in the city. Chief Inspector Yvonne McManus stated, “We need to be really clear about what our priorities are and violence against women and girls is our priority.” Approximately 1,000 individuals participated in a rally last month within the city, protesting violence against women and girls, following numerous reported attacks on women to the police. During an interview with BBC Radio Foyle’s North West Today programme, Chief Inspector McManus affirmed that safeguarding women and girls was a primary policing concern even prior to the introduction of Operation Season’s Greetings, which is specifically focused on the Christmas period. She further commented, “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.” “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.” She added, “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.” Additional officers have been stationed throughout the city in recent weeks, prompted by two serious sexual assaults and two reported attacks involving knives. Chief Inspector McManus indicated that the Christmas operation would concentrate its efforts on establishments such as bars and hotels, as well as public areas, including transport networks within the city. She stated, “We will have a reassuring presence in the nightlife hotspots to deter antisocial behaviour and to identify predatory behaviour.” “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.” She urged, “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 local police commander also advised women to be familiar with an initiative introduced in 2022, designed for individuals who feel unsafe during an evening out to subtly indicate their need for assistance. This program functions by prompting anyone at risk to “Ask for Angela” when speaking to staff in bars, pubs, and clubs, thereby alerting personnel to the situation and enabling them to intervene. Chief Inspector McManus concluded, “I would encourage women and girls on a night out to use that if they are in a space where they need help.” Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.