‘In Camden we call it out!’ - new campaign launched calling out inappropriate behaviour on our streets
Camden has launched a new campaign to help keep women and girls safe by encouraging people to safely intervene when they witness sexual harassment or any type of inappropriate behaviour.
Named ‘In Camden we call it out’ the campaign is a rallying call for communities to work together to help make the borough a safer place for women and girls by calling out and safely challenging any inappropriate behaviour they witness on Camden’s streets.
The campaign powerfully highlights the actions women and girls take to keep safe with a series of posters with quotes from women including “I never walk anywhere alone” while asking people who witness an incident to defuse it with a question or by asking the person targeted if they are OK.
Another aim of the campaign is to build awareness around the types of behaviours that are unacceptable, including catcalling, wolf-whistling and intrusive staring, and encouraging people to report it.
Informed by experiences of local women and groups including Camden Voices Against abuse –and Domestic Abuse organisations Solace and Hopscotch, the campaign includes a wide range of other activities which will be delivered across the council and in partnership with the Police, schools, community groups and local businesses.
Making sure women and girls feel safe while out in Camden is one of our highest priorities – but sadly we know lots of women do not feel this way.
Too often the responsibility for tackling male violence against women and girls falls on women, but we must tackle violence against women and girls at its root. We hope through this new campaign we can encourage everyone to safely challenge and intervene when they witness sexual harassment and any type of inappropriate behaviour and report it. We are also calling for male allies to join our fight in tackling violence against women and girls to ensure we can protect women now and in the future.
We are determined to make Camden a safe place for women and girls, so I urge everyone to work together and challenge wrong and inappropriate behaviour to help us to achieve this.
Met Superintendent Jack Rowlands said: “Every woman deserves to feel safe and enjoy herself without fear. We have increased patrols in busy areas to provide reassurance, as well as using undercover and uniformed officers to target predatory offenders.
“The Met are partnered with London’s Safer Business Network – training venue staff across Camden on how to spot predatory behaviour, and what to do if a customer tells them about a crime. We're dedicated to transforming the way we protect women and girls; our VAWG Action Plan sets out our principles and commitments to deliver for woman and girls across Camden and the capital."
Sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour on the street can include the following:
- Sexual assault
- Inappropriate physical contact
- Unwelcome touching, hugging, cornering or kissing
- Sexually suggestive comments or jokes that offend or intimidate
- Catcalling
- Wolf-whistling
- Intrusive staring of a sexual nature
- Upskirting (taking pictures under someone's clothes)
- Stalking
‘In Camden we call it out’ builds on a range of initiatives Camden has implemented to help improve women’s safety. This includes increased patrols alongside the Police in hotspot areas - to date almost 100 high visibility patrols in Camden have taken place since April 2023, aimed at tackling inappropriate behaviour.
The Council has also improved street lighting and installed more CCTV, as well as working with businesses to promote the ‘Ask for Angela’ initiative, a scheme which allows people to get help discreetly by approaching venue staff and asking them for ‘Angela’.
Camden also launched a Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Board, which brings together key partners across the borough to improve the experience and support to survivors from across our health, education, police and community partners as well as wider council services. The Board will continue to ensure that Violence Against Women and Girls is prioritised in Camden.
A new safety bus, located on Camden High Street was also introduced providing a safe space for anyone who needs help or support during a night out. The safety bus is open on Friday and Saturday evenings from 9.30pm to 2.30am.
How to report sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour
In an emergency always call 999.
Please remember that if you feel like a situation could get heated or violent, if someone is in immediate danger or if you need support right away, please call 999 for emergency police and ambulance services.
If you have a hearing or speech impairment, you can use the Police's textphone service at 18000 or text them on 999 if you’ve pre-registered with the emergency SMS service.
Reporting sexual harassment to the Police
If you’ve witnessed or been the victim of a crime, please report it to the police.
You can report an incident directly to the police by:
- calling 101 if it isn't an emergency,
- through the Met Police website
- by going to the nearest police station to you.
If the incident took place on the train, you can:
- text the British Transport Police on 61016,
- call 0800 40 50 40
- report online at the British Transport Police website
Reporting sexual harassment anonymously
Crimestoppers is an independent charity helping communities to ‘Speak up. Stay safe.’
Their 0800 555 111 telephone number and website give people the power to speak up and pass on information about crime 100% anonymously.
If you would like to report an individual or incident of sexual harassment whilst remaining anonymous, you can report to Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111 or by reporting online.
More information on sexual harassment and reporting can be found on the Crimestoppers website.
Other ways to report
Alternatively, you can contact other organisations, such as: