Leeds women’s safety campaigners welcome new police scheme but warn it’s ‘not the only answer’
A new initiative has led to more than 30 interventions in its first four weeks, but campaigners say more needs to be done to make women feel safe
A Leeds women’s safety organisation has welcomed a new police initiative designed to prevent sexual violence, while warning that policing alone will not solve the problem of violence against women and girls.
In its first four weeks, the initiative has resulted in more than 30 interventions, with specially trained plain-clothed and uniformed officers deployed in busy city centre locations.
Shreena Gobey, women’s night safe space manager at Women Friendly Leeds, said the organisation was pleased to see the scheme introduced, having been involved in consultations at both regional and city level.
She told the Yorkshire Evening Post: “Plain-clothed officers are better positioned to identify predatory behaviour and alert uniformed response officers to take appropriate action.”
The scheme also aims to improve communication between police and people working in the night-time economy, including bar staff, security workers and taxi drivers.
West Yorkshire Police has delivered training to frontline workers to help them recognise warning signs such as following someone, making inappropriate sexual comments or attempting to isolate a person who may be at risk.
Shreena said people working in these environments could play an important role in recognising concerning behaviour and acting on their instincts.
“They might see something and think, that doesn’t feel right, that person looks uncomfortable - and then act on it,” she said.
Women Friendly Leeds runs the Women’s Night Safe Space Service, which operates from a healthcare bus near Leeds Corn Exchange every Saturday night between 10pm and 3am.
The service offers confidential emotional and practical support to women in the city centre, connecting those who need help with longer-term support.
Shreena said Project Vigilant was a positive step towards prevention, but stressed it would not be a complete solution to the wider problem.
She told the YEP: “The initiative is not the only answer. Different things make different people feel safe and we need a societal approach to address harm against women and girls.”
She highlighted the importance of changes to public spaces, including better lighting and CCTV, alongside training and support for people who experience harassment or violence.
Her comments echo concerns previously raised with the Yorkshire Evening Post by Freya Shute, founder of female-only running group She Runs Leeds.
Freya spoke about how fears around personal safety can affect women’s everyday lives, particularly when exercising outdoors during darker evenings.
She described being catcalled while running and said the experience had sometimes put her off going out altogether. She also raised concerns about poor lighting in Woodhouse Moor, where she said it is very difficult to see after dark.
Freya said: “As we move into winter and it gets darker earlier, I don’t want to be running outside on my own. You just never know what could happen.”
Plans for lighting in Woodhouse Moor have previously been rejected amid concerns that it could encourage more people to use the park after sunset and illuminate those using its paths.
A spokesperson for Leeds City Council said: “Tackling violence against women and girls is a key priority for us and we work in close collaboration with other agencies including West Yorkshire Police.
"Walking day or night should never feel unsafe and we have launched several initiatives to improve safety for women and girls.
“These include the Walk Safe app and Ask for Angela, which has numerous hospitality venues signed up. The Jog On campaign aims to address sexual harassment experienced by women exercising in public spaces. We have also launched the Stop the Spike campaign with Women Friendly Leeds which engages with venues providing spike awareness training.
"We are using government funding to improve the physical space in parks in consultation with women and girls, to design spaces specifically for their safety and enjoyment.
“These campaigns take a whole system approach to improving the safety of women and girls in Leeds, involving relevant teams across the council as well as the police and other partners in the city. This approach allows us to address specific concerns raised by the public through increased vigilance and supporting communities to report issues.”
Women Friendly Leeds hopes to receive regular updates on Project Vigilant through the city’s safety partnership and wants local women to be able to share feedback as the initiative develops.
She said: “Everything we do is guided by local women and girls’ voices and wishes. They know best what makes them feel safe and the change they’d like to see in the city.”
Megan Woodgate, who has lived in Leeds for four years, said she would avoid walking alone at night wherever possible, particularly in quieter areas such as Hyde Park.
“I definitely feel safer from this scheme, knowing that there's someone watching over just in case anything were to happen to me,” she told the YEP.
Police say that in the last 12 months, 80% of sexual assault victims in West Yorkshire were women, while 91% of offenders were male.
Vicky Laird from West Yorkshire Police told the YEP: “We are working in partnership with over 80 venues across Leeds City Centre and Huddersfield Town Centre for the Project Vigilant pilot.”