AT Essex Police, we’re committed to keeping women and girls safe — not just in homes and public spaces, but everywhere and by all available means.
A spokesperson said: “That’s why we’re part of Operation Topaz, a national initiative focused on arresting and disrupting people who use the road network to commit serious crimes, including violence against women and girls.
The immediate effect is being felt in our neighbourhoods as roads policing officers made 21 arrests during the first two days of patrols on our roads.
Examples of some of the arrests made include:
- A man who was wanted by another force in connection with a sexual assault on a woman.
- A man suspected of harassment and controlling behaviour; the alleged offences included not allowing his partner to leave a bedroom and dictating where she could go.
- A man linked to drug offences, whose home contained items that could potentially be used in crimes against women.
Inspector Carl Habbershaw detailed the significance of the operation, explaining: “It’s imperative that we uphold laws that protect individuals from harm and ensure perpetrators are held accountable for their behaviour.
“My officers are well-placed to seek out those who we believe pose a significant risk to women and girls.
“We aim to break the cycle of domestic violence, grooming and sexual assaults by identifying those suspected to be involved and, when crimes have been committed, arresting suspects, or passing the information we’ve gathered to colleagues in specialist departments which monitor sexual and domestic abuse offenders.
“I’m confident our work will deter future violence, reduce crime and support victims and survivors.”
The successful outcomes of this cross-cutting approach to tackling high harm crime are a direct result of deploying suitably trained roads policing officers to target specific offenders based on intelligence.
Even when arrests aren’t made, our officers are gathering vital information and disrupting the behaviour of people we believe pose a risk. This intelligence is shared with our specialist teams who monitor and manage sexual and violent offenders.
Some such examples of this work include:
- Stopping a vehicle containing a man subject to a Child Abduction Warning Notice (CAWN) who we believe was trying to meet a young girl. Information about this incident was passed to our Child Abuse Investigation Team, a specialist unit dedicated to investigating offences involving children, particularly child abuse and exploitation.
- Preventing a motorbike rider, known to associate with young girls, from potentially making contact.
- Identifying a drunk driver who had a history of domestic abuse and threats against women.
We’re working closely with colleagues in the Violent and Sex Offender Register (ViSOR) and Management of Sexual Offenders and Violent Offenders (MOSOVO) teams by submitting information gathered from interactions. This vital information supports a wider intelligence picture that enables us to manage and monitor individuals who pose a risk to the public and carry out vital work ensuring that individuals who have committed serious offences are managed safely in the community.
We’re also supporting our partners by helping create and improve safe public spaces and safer streets through more CCTV coverage, better street lighting and raising awareness of domestic abuse through campaigns like Reflect, which encourages perpetrators to take responsibility and seek help.
Insp Habbershaw added: “Our message is clear: We will continue to take action to protect women and girls, disrupt dangerous behaviour, and make our streets safer for everyone.”
The next steps for Operation Topaz are:
- Continued focus on identifying and disrupting individuals who pose a risk to women and girls, including those involved in domestic abuse, sexual offences, and coercive behaviour.
- Intelligence-led targeted patrols meaning officers are sent where they’re most likely to disrupt criminal activity.
- Officers will work alongside Neighbourhood Policing Teams and partner agencies to increase visibility and reassurance in communities.
- Will take all enforcement action where necessary.
- Continue to gather intelligence to support the work of colleagues.
- Intelligence gathered will be shared with specialist teams like MOSOVO and ViSOR to support long-term offender management.
Notes to editors:
A CAWN is a safeguarding tool used by UK police forces to disrupt inappropriate contact between an adult and a child, particularly when there’s concern about grooming, exploitation, or other risks, but no criminal offence has yet been committed.
