Police officers disguised themselves as party goers in Hemel Hempstead as part of a new night-time economy operation launched in Dacorum.

Hertfordshire Constabulary has launched a new programme called ‘Project Vigilante’ in the borough.

At the weekend, officers were dressed in plain clothes in a bid to catch individuals displaying sexual predatory behaviour.

This programme has been rolled out in neighbouring policing areas and was first used in Oxford by Thames Valley Police in 2019. It is designed to spot criminal behaviour during the night-time economy.

Hertfordshire Constabulary says that specially trained plain-clothed and uniformed police officers patrol areas outside nightclubs, bars, and pubs as part of the operation.

Plain-clothed officers search for any individual of concern and then alert uniformed officers who can take further action.

Officers are trained to pick out examples of sexual comments, inappropriate touching, and loitering.

Police officers will engage with potential victims and offer support where necessary.

Neighbourhood Sergeant Sam Pearce, who is leading the operation in Dacorum, said: “Tackling violence against women and girls is a key priority across Hertfordshire and Project Vigilant is an important part of this work. Everyone has a right to feel and be safe during a night out.

“The inaugural operation in Hemel Hempstead was a success. We spoke with several females throughout the evening to ensure they were safe and also challenged any behaviour which was causing concern. This included stopping vehicles.”

She continued: “We’ll be conducting further Project Vigilant deployments in the future, to help keep people safe in the night-time economy. The project has also enabled officers to receive specialist training which can be used during their routine patrols.”

Hertfordshire Constabulary is already running the project in Watford, Stevenage, East Hertfordshire, St Albans and North Hertfordshire.

A spokesperson for the force added that 130 officers receiving specialist training as part of the project across Hertfordshire. They said: “This includes behavioural detection tuition, where officers are taught a scientific based process used to detect anomalous human behaviour. The training gives officers an insight into how sexual predators think and behave and equips them with the tools and knowledge to identify if someone’s behaviour is concerning.”