London is the greatest city in the world for live entertainment - that's why it must be safer for women and girls

With last year being a record-breaking year for female pop stars, we want to make sure the next generation of women music creators and lovers can thrive.

Millions of people attend live events in London each year, and the Met work closely with a wide range of partners – including venues, event organisers, security firms, other emergency services and local authorities – to make sure that attendees can enjoy themselves in safety.

That activity is being stepped up this summer, with the number of major music events doubling this year.

Women and girls deserve to be safe and feel safe wherever they are in the capital, at any time of day or night, but sadly we know that for many that is not the reality.

For me - like most if not all of the women reading this piece – personal safety is a big consideration when planning a night out. I have changed my plans and my behaviours to stay safe. It shouldn’t be this way. The Mayor and I are determined to do everything we can to change it.

That’s why I welcome the Met’s renewed focus on keeping women and girls safe this summer, backed with record funding from City Hall.

With many of the major concerts this summer attracting a predominantly female audience, the Met is stepping up patrols of specialist officers in and around venues, trained to spot predatory men in crowds and take action to prevent violence before it happens.

This is one part of a package of measures to keep women and girls safe, and make sure that dangerous men are not able to offend.

The Mayor has invested a record £233 million to protect women and girls - supporting the police to go after the worst perpetrators of VAWG, keep refuges open for survivors of domestic abuse and deliver innovative schemes like GPS tagging to ensure the behaviours of perpetrators - not their victims - are the focus of change.

We know violence starts with attitudes. A wolf whistle or a sexist joke that can often go unchecked. That’s why we’ve also prioritised tackling misogyny in schools, and invested in award-winning public awareness campaigns to encourage men to step up and call out misogynistic behaviour among their friends.

Through their V100 programme, the Met is using data to identify and target the men who pose the highest risk to women, with local and specialist officers then working together to take action to reduce the threat and protect potential victims. The programme has more than doubled the risk of arrest for the most harmful suspects.

The Met are using Live Facial Recognition technology to locate those wanted for offences and those subject to court orders, including sexual harm prevention orders.   

And more than 20,000 officers have received enhanced training to improve their ability to identify and respond to violence against women and girls.

Policing is vital, but the Met cannot tackle violence against women and girls alone. At City Hall we’re determined to lead a city-wide response, and since 2016 the Mayor has spearheaded a joint effort to prevent these crimes, strengthen enforcement, reduce reoffending and improve support for victims. We’re committed to that approach and will be setting out our plans in a refreshed London VAWG Strategy later this year. Together, we can create a safer London for every woman and girl.

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Kaya Comer-Schwartz is Deputy Mayor of London for Policing and Crime.

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