Merseyside Police are working with Channel 4 to investigate issues around predatory behaviour identified in a documentary investigation.
Earlier this month the broadcaster screened a programme showing journalist Ellie Flynn who went undercover on the streets of Liverpool city centre to highlight the reality of sexual harassment against women. Ms Flynn pretended to be drunk and alone on a Saturday night in the city centre to see what would happen.
The programme showed a man following her back to her hotel room and asking the journalist to give him a kiss, despite Ms Flynn at no point indicating she wanted him to join her. The undercover reporter was surrounded by a specialised security team and wore a mic as she went undercover in the city centre.
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Ahead of the broadcast, Merseyside Police said it had not been given advance sight of Ms Flynn’s investigation and Assistant Chief Constable Chris Green told a meeting of the Police and Crime Commissioner’s scrutiny panel that the force was working alongside Channel 4 to investigate the issues the documentary raised.
ACC Green said: “We’re doing work around Operation Empower and the night time economy and the prevention of offences in the first place. We have dedicated officers to identify people displaying predatory behaviour towards women and girls, predominantly in the night time economy.”
The senior officer said those officers focus on helping women and girls get relocated with friendship groups or to a safe place when required, or assist with communications when people are unable to contact who they may have been out with. ACC Green added: “We’re working with Channel 4 to investigate the matters that were identified both in the Metropolitan Police area and in Merseyside.
“I saw firsthand on the night time economy, the briefing of all our staff, that identifies individuals who we believe are exhibiting predatory behaviour. “There are plans in relation to what we can do to prevent those individuals coming into the city centre, but if we can’t, when they’re in the city centre we ensure we know who they are and officers are looking to engage with them.”
ACC Green said two individuals were stopped at 2am on Sunday who had given a “clear indication” of predatory behaviour in terms of approaching women and girls who were on their own waiting to go home. He added that a “suitable intervention” had been put in place.
The force said ahead of the show being aired that it was not aware of any formal complaints being made by Ms Flynn.
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