Police are set to carry out targeted patrols in parts of Norfolk as part of a drive to tackle violence against women and girls.
The patrols, which start this month, aim to provide reassurance to the community and will focus on areas where people have highlighted feeling unsafe through the StreetSafe reporting tool.
Officers will patrol in pairs and target key urban areas where more offences are likely to take place such as Norwich, King’s Lynn and Great Yarmouth.
They will be speaking to members of the public and highlighting how they can flag places where they feel unsafe, where they can get help and support and how everyone can be involved in helping to call out inappropriate behaviours safely.
Superintendent Sonia Humphreys said: “Community reassurance, ensuring we have safer spaces across the county and the safety of women and girls are high on our list of priorities.
"Our teams of officers will be focusing on key areas and the night-time economy throughout the winter period when the days are drawing in and people are enjoying festivities."
As part of the campaign, officers will be giving out wallet cards signposting StreetSafe, introduced by the Home Office last year to enable people to flag areas online.
The cards will also reflect the values of the 'Enough campaign', launched both nationally and locally earlier this year, to target attitudes around violence against women and girls, covering street harassment to inappropriate touching and catcalling.
The cards, which can easily be put in a pocket or mobile phone wallet, outline small acts which everybody can employ to help make inappropriate behaviour unacceptable in Norfolk.
The StreetSafe online tool found verbal harassment and feelings of being followed were among top behavioural concerns highlighted by members of the public.
The Community Policing Team are leading the engagement patrols and will be working across the county with local policing teams to spread the message.
As part of the deployments, officers will be proactively talking to those who are displaying potentially concerning behaviour, targeting perpetrators as well as providing reassurance and engaging with the wider public.
The aim is to make a lasting impact in those areas where people feel unsafe and challenge inappropriate behaviours.
People can flag any places they feel unsafe on the StreetSafe tool here.
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