Police team up with venues to create code word to help women stay safe across Sydney

POLICE are urging women to use a simple new code word to alert bar staff when they’re feeling at risk of a sexual attack — asking for “Angela” at CBD venues will now trigger safety protocols to help women who feel they may be in danger.

AUTHORITIES are set on stamping out sexual assault before it occurs by urging worried women on dodgy dates to head to the bar and “ask for Angela”.

With dating and hook-up apps often leading to first-time meet-ups in pubs, clubs and bars, staff will for the first time be trained to follow a new protocol to help women who feel unsafe.

Options for the staff to follow include helping the person to leave the bar discreetly, leading them to a safe space inside the venue or contacting police on their behalf.

“Given the increasing popularity of online dating apps, many people are meeting for dates at bars, clubs and pubs having never met, beyond the screens of their phone or computer,” Police Minister Troy Grant said.

The video shows the happy start to online dating and the reality for one in five women. Picture: Supplied

One in five women who are sexually assaulted are on a date with someone they met online. Picture: Supplied

The Ask For Angela protocol is a result of research by Central Metropolitan Region NSW Police analysts into sexual assault, looking at incidents in the CBD, Newtown, Kings Cross and Darlinghurst.

The program has been trialled and will be unveiled today before being launched in the city this weekend.

“We don’t want people feeling intimidated when they’re socialising in the city. They’re out to enjoy themselves, not feel threatened, and this initiative supports their safety,” Mr Grant said.

A screen grab from the ‘Ask for Angela’ video released by the NSW Police as part of a campaign to increase the safety of people while on dates. Picture: Supplied

Bartender Chris Lucas at The Rocks pub Fortune of War is one of the first to be trained by police as part of Ask for Angela and he said he hoped it would soon be rolled out everywhere.

In the initiative staff must find uneasy customers a “safe zone”, such as a staffroom or kitchen, before finding a safe way home for them, such as calling a loved one or ordering a cab. If the situation is more volatile, staff call police.

Chris Lucas has been trained in the ‘Ask for Angela’ protocol at The Push Bar in The Rocks. Picture: Jonathan Ng

It is the first in a series of campaigns that police will roll out to crack down on sexual assaults­.

Central Metropolitan Region Police Commander Mark Walton said licensing officers were already training venue staff on how to deal with grubs.

“We are determined to prevent sexual assaults and if this campaign allows us to remove people from harm’s way, then it’s well worth it,” Mr Walton said.

The campaign will be advertised in venues across the city. Picture: Supplied

The police analysis of reported sexual assaults found 73 per cent involved alcohol consumption by either the perpetrator or the victim.

Analysts also reported that a common feature of the assaults was that the victim had first met the offender at licensed premises and they concluded that alcohol made assailants more aggressive and victims more vulnerable.

“We will wait and see how effective it is in the city before we consider its use more broadly,” Mr Walton said.

A screen grab from the ‘Ask for Angela’ video released by the NSW Police as part of a campaign to increase the safety of people while on dates. Picture: Supplied

The initiative is based on a British program that began two years ago in Lincolnshire and has since been extended across the country.

It came after a report by the UK’s National Crime Agency listed online dating as an “emerging threat”, with a 600 per cent increase in sexual assaults linked to online dating between 2009 and 2014.

Police are training staff on how to handle situations where someone may use the code word for help. Picture: Supplied

Friends Jade Pearce, 25, and Laura Ward, 28, have both heard the horror stories.

“Some of the stories I’ve heard from my friends are really scary, with men they’ve met online being quite pushy and sleazy,” Ms Pearce said.

“The fact that the staff are now more aware of these kinds of situations makes me more inclined to meet up with people at bars.”

Laura Ward and Jade Pearce at The Push Bar in The Rocks where staff have been trained in ‘Ask for Angela’ protocol. Picture: Jonathan Ng

And Ms Ward said the program is vital in a time where first dates mainly consist of meeting a stranger for the first time due to the popularity of dating apps.

“Most of the people my friends have met online have been very different to how they perceive themselves over a keyboard,” she said.

“Bars are a very popular place for first dates so I think it is a great idea to have someone looking out for you.”