Salisbury reacts to Wiltshire Police crack down on sex crime

Wiltshire Police have launched their Vigilant Communities scheme, which aims to work with local groups and organisations to crack down on sexual offences.

The initiative created by the Wiltshire force will operate both day and night, and will give training, as well as advice, on how to spot predatory behaviour and how best to report it.

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The Journal took to the streets of Salisbury to get thoughts on the Wiltshire Police's latest scheme, but the reactions were mixed.

Not wishing to be photographed, Chloe Pearson, 40, agreed with the scheme, but doubted how it could be implemented.

"Women shouldn't be targeted for what they wear, or for being drunk," she said. "[But] I don't know how you can stop it."

Sean Johnson welcomed the scheme (Image: Charles Elliman)

The Journal asked Chloe if she was sceptical and she replied: "Yes. It's hard to report something when you don't have the information."

Mia Canning, 20, who works at a shopping centre in Salisbury, wants more emphasis to be put on security workers, who she claims largely do not care.

"A lot of them aren't proactive," she said. "From personal experience [...] police aren't on the streets, its the security guards."

Sean Johnson, also 40, was more positive. Speaking to the Journal, he said, "Any idea is a good idea."

He continued: "Anything that's gonna help, such as passwords at bars to call the police, [it's] about getting the message out.

"People gotta know what they need to do and how to do it."

'People still don't take these kinds of things seriously'

The Journal spoke with Detective Inspector Troy Smith about Wiltshire Police's latest scheme. He was keen to stress he wanted the streets to be hostile for sex offenders.

"Without perpetrators, there would be no victims," the DI asserted. "Not everyone who flashes will rape someone, but every violent offender in history has had a history of lower level offences."

He continued: "The escalations aren't just escalations. They're steps down into hell; a ladder that goes rung by rung."

Wiltshire Police want to work with local communities to tackle sex crime (Image: Salisbury Police) Read more: Police launch community bid to tackle sexual crime in Salisbury and Wiltshire 

DI Smith wants to help change societal attitudes towards victims, who he asserts often take the blame, especially female victims.

"Because we come from a male-dominated society, violence against women and girls has only become important recently," he said.

The DI described how women are often blamed for the way they dress, for getting drunk, or for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He asserted: "People still don't take these kinds of things seriously."

Taking a swipe at myths and stereotypes of 'good victims,' the DI said: "The brain does not react in the same way. You just do what you need to survive."

In addition to contact sexual offences, such as rape, Vigilant Communities is targeting non-contact offences that fly under the radar.

The national statistics

According to the Office for National Statistics, recorded sexual offences decreased by three per cent in YE March 2024 (188,893 offences) compared with the previous year (194,478 offences).

Roughly 36 per cent (67,928 offences) of all sexual offences recorded by the police in YE March 2024 were rape offences.

The ONS notes the data follows general increases in sexual offences over the last decade largely, which has seen improvements in recording practices.

It also warns sexual offences recorded by the police do not provide a reliable measure of trends in these types of crime.

The ONS states, in YE March 2024, police recorded stalking increased by 10 per cent (to 129,076 offences) and police recorded harassment also increased by 10 per cent (to 287,977 offences) compared with the previous year.

There was no change in the number of coercive and controlling behaviour offences (44,212 offences).