Women to join patrols with Met Police in 'unsafe' areas

Women will be able to go on patrol with female police officers around parts of London where they feel most unsafe, as part of a new scheme.

The "walk and talk" initiative is being set up to help rebuild public trust after crimes such as the killings of Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa.

The Met Police said it was doing "all it can to make the streets safer".

Women's safety campaigners said "in theory", it was a "positive approach".

Women who take part in the scheme will be able to talk to officers about their concerns and why they feel vulnerable in certain places.

The Met says it is being rolled out across the capital after a successful pilot last year.

Leading a walk and talk in Peckham on Thursday, Commander Rachel Williams said the scheme was aimed at helping the police have a "genuine understanding" and "a proper dialogue around what worries people".

She added: "It's about us working jointly to try and gain that understanding and then use that information in a way that's really positive and proactive."

During the patrol, two women in a park told officers they did not feel safe walking in the area at night.

Reclaim These Streets, a group campaigning to improve women's safety, believes it is unclear what will happen with feedback from women participating in the scheme.

Co-founder Anna Birley said: "Taking part is a waste of women's time if nothing is going to be done about their concerns."

Ms Birley, a Labour councillor representing Thurlow Park and West Dulwich, also said she had found it "difficult to access" the scheme when she tried to participate in the trial in Lambeth.

But, she said: "In theory, any approach for tackling violence against women and girls, based on their experiences, is a positive approach."

The scheme is one of the approaches the Metropolitan Police is taking to alleviate concerns about women's safety, which were heightened by the murder of Sarah Everard by serving police officer, Wayne Couzens in March 2021.

It was followed by scandals involving the conduct of some police officers after the murders of sisters Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman.

In November, the Met announced an action plan for regaining women's trust. It has led to the introduction of "predatory offenders' units" and 650 high-visibility patrols have been deployed to "hotspots" where women have said they feel unsafe.

Cdr Williams said that the force had come under "intense scrutiny" in the past year and that "we absolutely hear loud and clear from our communities that trust has been eroded and we must do more".

The scheme will be officially launched on International Women's Day on 8 March.