Violence Against Women and Girls
Thames Valley Police takes violence against women and girls extremely seriously. We are committed to creating an environment where women and girls can feel safe and be safe in the Thames Valley. Our 2023-2025 VAWG strategy sets out how Thames Valley Police will continue to tackle violence against women and girls and ensure that women in our force are treated with respect. A text-only version of our Violence Against Women and Girls strategy is also available.
Go straight to help if you or someone you know has been a victim.
All violence is totally unacceptable and Thames Valley Police is committed to tackling abuse in all its forms. Crimes such as domestic abuse, rape, harassment and up skirting disproportionately affect women and girls and we know that their trust in policing has been damaged following recent significant cases. Whilst our strategy is focused on these crimes that disproportionately affect women and girls, much of the work behind it protects all victims of these crimes.
We have come a long way since our focused efforts to tackle violence against women and girls got underway in 2022.
Project Vigilant, is now in use across the force, using dedicated uniformed and plain clothed officers to carry out patrols in areas outside nightclubs, bars and pubs, to identify people who may be displaying signs of predatory behaviour, such as sexual harassment, inappropriate touching and loitering. We are also working with a number of police forces across England and Wales to support them in using this tactic as well.
We have increased staff in our Professional Standards Department to identify and share good practice as well as investigate and pursue those within our force who fall below the standards rightly expected of them.
We are proud to be White Ribbon accredited, demonstrating our commitment to ending violence against women and girls and we are working with a number of our partners within the Thames Valley to support them in becoming accredited as well.
In the summer of 2023, we adopted Operation Soteria Bluestone, the new national way of working for managing and investigating rapes and other sexual offences to get better outcomes for victims. This way of working was devised by academics and police working alongside survivors and has achieved promising results in other police forces.
The number of charges made in rape, sexual offences and stalking and harassment investigations have increased within the last year, meaning more suspects are having their day in court. Action taken against domestic abuse offenders has also increased either by sending suspects to court or through
If you or someone you know has been a victim
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If you feel ready to report a crime to us, you can call us on 101 or 999 if it has just happened. We also have a specific online reporting form that helps you report sexual offences that you can complete in your own time, without having to speak to anyone.
No matter how you choose to make your report we won't judge you, we'll treat you with respect, and we'll always put your health and wellbeing first.
You can report something that's happened to you, or to someone else. You can report anonymously, without giving us your details.
For help and support, you can also reach out to an independent support service who have experts available to help you through whatever situation you are in, to discuss your options and next steps. There are a number of local or national support services, some of whom specialise in supporting victims of specific crime types. If you’re not sure who to contact, we recommend speaking to Victims First who can advise on the best place to seek help and support.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of a sexual offence, you can find out more about how we will investigate the offence and how we work closely with Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARC). We know the idea of attending a SARC can be daunting and so we teamed up with campaigner Sharon Gaffka to go inside a SARC and shine a light on what you can expect and what happens, regardless of whether or not you want to report the incident to police.
StreetSafe
If you have felt unsafe in a public place anywhere in the UK, you can use the national StreetSafe reporting tool to flag areas on a map where you feel unsafe and tell us why you feel unsafe there.
All reports are anonymous and sent to the local police force who review them with local partners to identify areas that need improvement.
Your Area
Find out who polices your local area, what they’ve been up to, the priorities they’re working to and upcoming events where you can meet with them by visiting the Your Area section of our website and entering your postcode or street name.
Help us to tackle crime
Join an IAG
throughout the year to scrutinise policing in their local area and work with police officers to provide insight and advice on topical issues and incidents that may have caused tension within the local community. Find out more about these groups and how to join your local IAG.
Recruitment
Be the difference you want to see in your community and join us at Thames Valley Police. You can volunteer your time to become a Special Constable or make the leap and continue your career as a staff member or a police officer. You could be the first voice a victim hears when they call 999, part of the Forensic Science team analysing samples and digital devices or you could be researching, recommending and reviewing the IT systems we use to provide the best possible service to victims and to swiftly bring offenders to justice.
Neighbourhood Watch
Neighbourhood Watch is a great way to work alongside your neighbours to help feel safer where you live and to quickly identify suspicious activity. Neighbourhood Watch is separate to the police but our neighbourhood teams work closely with local co-ordinators to share information and safety advice. Find out more about Neighbourhood Watch and whether there is a local scheme in your area.
Crimestoppers
If you want to provide information to the police but are nervous about sharing your details with us, then we urge you to consider making a report to Crimestoppers. They are an independent charity who allow you to speak up and stop crime whilst remaining 100% anonymous.
We work closely with Crimestoppers who share the information you report to them whilst maintaining 100% anonymity. You can make a report to them over the phone or by using their online form.