Sex crime on the streets of Pembroke is being tackled head-on this weekend as licensed premises are being urged to promote the ‘Ask for Angela’ campaign.
Working in conjunction with Pembroke Street Pastors, Dyfed-Powys Police officers have visited each of Pembroke’s licenced premises to discuss ways in which the ever-growing number of sexual assaults can be curbed.
One of the most effective ways in which this can be done is via the ‘Ask for Angela’ campaign which was first set up in Lincolnshire in 2016.
Anyone who feels they are in danger of a sexual assault or who finds themselves in an uncomfortable situation can use a codeword directly to members of staff at the premises.
By asking for a fictitious member of staff – whose name is Angela – the staff will then help the concerned person to get home discreetly and safely by either escorting them to a different room, calling a taxi and escorting them to it, or by asking the person who is making the unwanted sexual advances to leave the establishment.
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Posters are placed on the stall doors inside all the toilets of the establishments where the campaign is being implemented.
The posters introduce ‘Angela’ and ask several questions about the position they are finding themselves in.
Meanwhile car attendants and bouncers in areas where Ask for Angela is already up and running claims the campaign is helping to control the risk of sex offending.
“All our bouncers are trained to notice vulnerable situations, and several situations have been diffused without even having to hear the codeword,” commented a nightclub owner in Wrexham, which is one of the Welsh town which has already adopted the Ask for Angela campaign.
“But whenever the codeword is used, we always escort the person who feels threatened into another room and assess how best to help get him or her home. The campaign is showing a real concern for public safety and is helping us to get a rapid response whenever the situation arises.”
The campaign isn’t gender specific but is there to help everyone. It is named in memory of Angela Crompton who was abused and killed by her husband in 2012 when an argument about redecorating his house got out of control.
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