POLICE in Wiltshire have joined a major new campaign to focus on keeping women and girls safe.

The force knows the county's communities have lost trust in it after Sarah Everard died by a police officer's hands earlier this year, which prompted a public outcry and led to many women recalling times when they felt unsafe.

Closer to home, former Swindon police constable Darren Thorn faced a hearing for gross misconduct and was sacked last week after pleading guilty to starting a sexual relationship with a vulnerable woman he met while on duty in 2018.

Now, Wiltshire Police is joining a national framework which sets out what is required from officers and staff to combat violence against women and girls, build their trust and confidence within the borough’s communities and focus on catching those responsible.

Superintendent Sarah Robbins is the force's lead for tackling violence against women and girls. During her 19-year career, she has seen some questionable behaviour and wants to ensure colleagues flag up any concerning comments or sexism.

Supt Robbins said: "It was devastating to watch the Sarah Everard case unfold and when we learned that a police officer was the perpetrator it sent shockwaves through the service and our communities.

“It would be very easy – but naïve - to look at what’s going on in London and say ‘well, it’s not happening in Wiltshire’, and PC Thorn’s case really brought it home for us.

“Everyone in our communities should be able to feel safe, and improvements have already been made in the policing response to violence against women and girls.

“In the last year, we’ve listened to our communities who have made it clear that we need to continue to explore all possible opportunities to reduce this violence and restore their confidence in the police.

“It is important this doesn’t fall on deaf ears, which is why a framework like this, ensuring victims get a consistently high standard of service whatever the crime and wherever it is committed, is essential.

“We need to be open about looking where our faults might be and making changes where we need to change.”“We are committed to making long-lasting changes and we will be looking inwards at ourselves to create a culture within Wiltshire Police where officers and staff can be confident and comfortable about speaking out about behaviour that falls below our high standard, and that any such behaviours can be appropriately addressed."

She wants to find out other colleagues' feelings about the culture in the police force.

Supt Robbins added: "I joined Wiltshire Police at 19, I was really young and didn’t have a clue about the world, so it’s quite shocking to be exposed to all the things you’re blinkered to.

"Personally, 99.9 per cent of the colleagues I’ve worked with have been wonderful human beings and caring public servants who joined the police for the right reasons and do what they can for victims and witnesses.

"I wouldn’t still be here if that wasn’t the case, but I know I'm lucky and that we're not perfect. There have been a few occasions where I look back and realise there are things I probably should have called out and recognised as unacceptable, but it became completely normalised in society, so we didn’t see it.

“I’m a senior female officer so sometimes, while working my way up the ladder for promotions, I’ve been in competition with male colleagues who weren’t very happy about that."

Victims can report crime online on the Wiltshire Police website or by calling 101. Always call 999 in an emergency or if a sexual assault has just occurred.

Anyone who feels uncomfortable on a night out can ‘Ask for Angela’ at participating venues where trained staff will offer support.

Use the government’s online tool StreetSafe to flag areas on a map where you don’t feel safe, from poorly lit walkways to instances of public harassment, regardless of whether a crime has taken place. The Swindon Sexual Assault Referral Centre offers support to survivors with or without police involvement.