Cat-callers and people who commit other street based sexual harassment will face fines of up to £1,000 under a new scheme which aims to improve the safety of women and girls in Barking and Dagenham.
A survey conducted by Barking and Dagenham Council’s Community Safety Enforcement Team found Barking Town Centre and Dagenham Heathway were hotspot areas for sexual harassment.
Out of 444 women and girls who were surveyed, 15per cent had experienced verbal abuse, 11per cent had experienced men invading their personal space, 11per cent had been followed and 10per cent had experienced cat-calling.
Community Safety had also received a number of complaints from residents, visitors, staff and businesses including members of the LGBTQ+ community about preachers allegedly sharing non-inclusive ideologies and using hate speech.
Street based sexual harassment, along with amplified music and public speaking, urinating, begging, spitting, and alcohol-related antisocial behaviour (ASB) were added to a revised Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) that came into force on 1 November. The PSPO was previously active in Barking Town Centre, Broad Street and Dagenham Heathway, however they had all expired this year and didn’t previously didn’t include sexual harassment and the other additional offences now added.
Residents were consulted on the plans as well as the option to extend the PSPO to Gale Street in Becontree and saw a total of 845 people respond in support of the scheme. The proposals were approved by Cabinet last month and will last for another three years. Anyone caught breaching the PSPO rules in Barking Town Centre, Broad Street, Dagenham Heathway or Gale Street will be handed a £100 Fixed Penalty Notice or could face a fine of up to £1,000 on prosecution.
Syed Ghani, Cabinet Member for Enforcement and Community Safety, said: “PSPOs play a huge role in reducing [ASB] in our hotspot areas and as part of the renewal, we know how important it was to include sexual harassment to help improve women’s safety. I’d like to thank all the residents who took part in the consultation and supporting the renewal of the scheme and I hope you continue to see a difference.”
The Met Police’s Superintendent David Rhodes for Barking and Dagenham said: “The PSPO provides our officers with another tool at their disposal to challenge [ASB], including sexual harassment in public spaces. Community crime fighting is how we cut crime, rebuild trust and restore our bond with communities.
“[ASB] in our community is not acceptable and we are committed to doing more to tackle it in all its forms and challenge perpetrators of sexual harassment. By working together with Barking and Dagenham Council, this PSPO will help tackle the behaviour and make our neighbourhoods safer.”
