Vancouver police have a message for anyone who thinks groping others without consent is a good idea: “Hands Off!”
The department rolled out a new campaign in partnership with Metro Vancouver Transit Police and Barwatch aimed at unwanted sexual touching on Tuesday.
The education initiative aims to remind people that groping is a crime, and could result in arrest and sexual assault charges.
“We know that almost everybody knows somebody or is somebody who has been sexually assaulted in this manner and we wanted to get the message out to offenders that this behaviour is unacceptable and that it won’t be tolerated,” said VPD Sgt. Steve Addison.
“Whether you’re a student on a bus or you are a server in a bar or you are a customer in a restaurant, no person should have to tolerate this kind of behaviour.”
The campaign will see “Hands Off!” posters plastered in bars and throughout the transit system.
The department says it crafted the new campaign due to an “alarming” number of groping incidents being reported to police.
Since the start of 2018, the VPD says it has investigated 174 reports of unwanted sexual touching in public places. Transit police have investigated another 75 cases during that time.
Police say crowded places such as rapid transit, buses, clubs and bars are the most common places for such assaults.
“Transit police want the transit system to be an unwelcome environment for sexual offenders,” said Sgt. Clint Hampton.
“Despite our constant efforts to reduce incidences of groping, these continue to be a serious issue on the transit system. We often hear the terms rubbing, fondling, groping used.
“Offenders need to realize that these are all sexual assaults.”
Police encourage all victims or witnesses of crime to call 911 immediately.