Uniformed and plain-clothed police officers will act as disruption teams to prevent sexual offences and violence against women from taking place during nights out in the lead-up to Christmas.

A pilot project being carried out by Dyfed-Powys Police will see plain-clothed officers with specialist training acting as spotters during busy evenings, identifying people who appear to present a risk to others by displaying sexually predatory behaviour. These concerns will be reported to police in uniform, who will step in to disrupt potentially criminal behaviour before it happens.

The scheme is called Project Vigilant and is being trialled over three weekends in December with the aim of rolling it out across the force area in the new year. Ahead of the launch, 12 proactive policing team officers will receive specialist behavioural observation training from colleagues at Thames Valley Police to upskill them in risk management and to encourage proactivity in spotting predatory behaviour.

Chief Inspector Dominic Jones said: “This is an exciting new project for Dyfed-Powys Police, and one we’re looking forward to getting off the ground. We’re confident Project Vigilant will have a great impact in helping to reassure and protect women during the nighttime economy.

“Women should feel safe on a night out and should not feel the need to change their behaviour to stay so. By looking out for potential predators, we will ultimately be changing the behaviours of those who could cause harm, and making our communities safer for all.

“While Project Vigilant has the specific aim of helping to reassure and protect women during the nighttime economy, we anticipate it will have an overall result of deterring all types of criminality.

“There’s evidence to show that in cases where forces have deployed a greater number of uniformed officers to hotspot areas, perpetrators dispersed to other locations. The key here is in using plain clothed officers to spot the concerning behaviour and identify individuals to their colleagues who can step in.

“This is one of many examples of preventative policing being used by Dyfed-Powys Police to help identify potential criminal activity and intervene before offending occurs.”

Under Project Vigilant, officers will be deployed to patrol areas that are particularly busy during the evening and nighttime to be on the lookout for potential predatory behaviour towards women. Anyone who is flagged as a potential risk will be approached by uniformed police who will assess the situation and take appropriate action if needed.

Their deployment will be based on intelligence to make sure officers are in the right place at the right time.

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner has funded the pilot under the Serious Violence Duty. PCC Dafydd Llywelyn said: “As Police and Crime Commissioner, I’m committed to ensuring the safety of women in our communities, particularly during busy night-time periods.

“Project Vigilant is an important step toward proactive and preventative policing, aiming to identify and disrupt predatory behaviour before any harm can occur.

“This initiative not only helps protect individuals but also reinforces our commitment to creating safer public spaces across Dyfed-Powys.

“I’m proud to support this pilot and look forward to its impact on our communities.”