Police to patrol areas where public feel unsafe after Sarah Everard murder

The murder of the 33-year-old at the hands of Wayne Couzens, a former Metropolitan Police firearms officer, has brought into focus the safety of women in girls across the country.

On March 3, Sarah Everard disappeared as she was walking home to Brixton Hill from a friend's house near Clapham Common. Her remains were discovered in woodland near Ashford in Kent on March 10. (Image: Metropolitan Police)

Norfolk Constabulary has vowed to work harder to rebuild trust and make streets safer for women and girls in the county with the issue a central part of a recent public meeting with the force's temporary chief constable Paul Sanford and police and crime commissioner Giles Orpen-Smellie.

It received more than 20 questions from the public with many centred on the safety of women and girls in the county.

The force has received 300 responses from worried people concerned about areas where they do not feel safe in the county after the force signed up to the Streetsafe scheme where people can anonymously report areas where they feel unsafe.

Mr Sanford told the meeting: "We will be carrying out patrols on the hotspot areas identified by our residents where they don’t feel safe."

He said the force was "very alive to the public interest concerning all forms of violence against women and girls at the moment.

"Everyone in the constabulary recognises the events of the last few weeks have caused immeasurable damage to the trust and confidence of communities, and particularly women, have in the service.

“We know that trust will not be rebuilt overnight.

“I think the best response policing in Norfolk can give is to provide the best possible service to victims, to offer support and compassion to those who call on us in crisis and continue to promote and highlight the excellent work which we do."

Mr Orpen-Smellie said he recognised rebuilding trust was "going to take time and was going to take work" following the "horrible" death of Miss Everard.

Norfolk's newly-elected Police and Crome Commissioner, Gile Orpen-Smellie is officially sworn into the role. Byline: Sonya Duncan (Image: Archant)

He said: "We must not allow the damage Wayne Couzens has done to public trust to be his lasting legacy to policing”.

Questions from the public included how many serving Norfolk officers had convictions for sexual offences, sexual assault, harassment or sexual misconduct.

Mr Sanford said none adding that in the past five years nine officers have received convictions “all of which are not now in the organisation”.