'Walk and Talk' with female police officer initiative for women launched in Telford

The Walk and Talk initiative is where women meet a female police officer to go for a walk and have a chat about any concerns they have around safety in their neighbourhood.

For example, there may be an area where a woman feels unsafe to walk due to poor street lighting, or there may be worries about street harassment or anti-social behaviour.

The initiative is part of West Mercia’s response to tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG).

This year West Mercia Police has appointed five specialist VAWG officers across the force to support this work, with the appointment of PC Rebecca James in Telford.

Initially started by the Metropolitan Police, now the Safer Neighbourhood Team in Telford has taken up the idea.

It is inviting women to get in touch and they will be paired with a female officer to take a walk at a mutually convenient time.

Walks are flexible, they will last around 30 minutes and can take place early in the morning or evening, as these are often the times when women feel most vulnerable due to darkness, less traffic and fewer people on the streets.

A spokesperson for West Mercia Police said: "Walk and Talk focuses on encouraging open and constructive conversations between the officer and participant.

"We want to listen to women’s experiences and for them to feel free to share their thoughts and raise concerns.

"From these conversations we are keen to learn about any reoccurring themes and find out what we, along with our partners, can do to improve safety for women and girls."

To evaluate the effectiveness of Walk and Talk and capture feedback, the force will ask both officer and participant to complete a short survey after the walk.

Sergeant Richard Jones from South Telford SNT said: “As we strive to protect women across our diverse communities, building trust and confidence is paramount.

“My hope is that Walk and Talk encourages open and constructive conversations between officers and participants and will, quite literally, be a step in the right direction to help women and girls feel safer in their neighbourhoods.

“We are inviting women to come alone to chat freely with an officer, but if women would like to come in a pair, perhaps with a female friend, sister or mum, please let us know.”

West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion said: "Too frequently, women and girls across society are excluded from public spaces due to a lack of feeling safe.

"I am proud to see Telford officers are proactively engaging with women to understand where women feel unsafe and what causes these anxieties. In doing so, officers can play their part in combatting the matter at hand.

"As Police and Crime Commissioner and shown in my Safer West Mercia Plan, I am committed to altering feelings of unsafety amongst women and girls. I have supported and resourced the Safer Streets initiative which aims to reduce issues like violence against women and girls and anti-social behaviour, for local organisations across West Mercia.

"The Walk & Talk Telford scheme shows the dynamism officers have in addressing local safety concerns and I hope other policing areas will be inspired by this initiative."

If you wish to take part in ‘Walk and Talk’ email: walkandtalk@westmercia.police.uk

Members of public can also use StreetSafe, a website and phone app, where they can anonymously tell police about areas where they feel or have felt unsafe.

Please note, StreetSafe is not for reporting crime. More information is available on the website or download the app - see police.uk/pu/notices/streetsafe/street-safe