Guernsey Police might take on new women's safety campaign
- Published
Poppy Murray from Guernsey addressed more than 70 police officers
Guernsey Police might adopt a new campaign which gives advice to men to help women feel safer when walking alone.
A police event on Friday heard a speech from Poppy Murray, a campaigner from Guernsey.
Ms Murray started her campaign BE LADS in 2021 which aims to raise awareness about women's safety.
Deputy Chief Officer Ian Scholes said the force might take the campaign on.
'Inspiring'
He attended the event on Friday and said it was "invaluable".
"The talk Poppy gave about her campaign was truly inspiring. She rightly identified that as police officers, we are in positions of responsibility and have the power to enact change.
"We should be pushing for equality for all genders inside and outside of our organisations, and I am committed to seeing that happen."
He said Guernsey Police would explore signing the force up to use the campaign in the island's communities, and other forces have also expressed an interest.
Ms Murray said: "When I created the campaign I knew it would be universal. The issue isn't just local to Guernsey, it's absolutely everywhere."
She addressed more than 70 police officers at the event, which was organised by the United Nations HeForShe initiative.
It took place following the recently published Casey Review which labelled the Met police as institutionally misogynistic.
There have also been high-profile cases of officers sexually assaulting women, most recently the case of David Stansbury in Plymouth.
Ms Murray said the public's trust in police has "undoubtedly been strained".
She added: "However, just as it's not all men who are threats to women, not all police officers are abusing their power.
"While it is important for the public to see that most police officers are good people dedicated to serving and protecting their communities, it is equally important for the police to recognise why it is difficult for the public to trust them."
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