A HAMPSHIRE police officer has received recognition for the pioneering work he carried out following the murder of Sarah Everard.
Sergeant Peter Rackham was congratulated at the Chief Constable’s Awards for his commitment to tackling the issue of violence against women and girls.
The Fareham-based officer played a key role in Hampshire Constabulary’s response to Ms Everard’s death.
He developed a partnership approach to tackling predatory behaviour in the night-time economy, working with partner agencies to ensure people including licensees and door staff are equipped with the necessary skills.
He also delivered a women's safety charter, instigated a night-time economy plan, and helped secure the expansion of the "Ask Angela" safety initiative.
Launched in 2017, it originally enabled female revellers in bars and clubs to discreetly seek help by asking for "Angela" at the bar. Now they can use an app instead.
A Hampshire police spokesperson said Sergeant Rackham had ensured the app was fit for purpose.
"Perhaps most importantly he used his years of experience to engage with victims to understand their experience and develop the policing response to better support victims, including the use of Community Protection Notices against those displaying predatory behaviour," said the spokesperson.
PS Rackham joined Hampshire police in 2007 and began his career by responding to emergency calls before joining the licencing team in Portsmouth.
He now leads the Fareham East Neighbourhoods Policing Team, focusing on violence against women and girls whilst seeking robust action against perpetrators.
Sergeant Rackham said: "I am really happy for this work to be recognised.
"However, this work would be nothing if the policing family, and partners, did not respond so well to following the guiding principles laid out in the work I performed.
"I've seen first-hand how our approach has supported vulnerable people and deterred perpetrators from committing offences."
Sarah Everard, 33, on Brixton Hill, was kidnapped on March 3 last year as she walked home from a friend's house.
Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens was arrested at Deal in Kent on March 9 and Ms Everard's remains were discovered in woodland the following day.
After pleading guilty to her murder Couzens was sentenced to life imprisonment on September 30 2021.
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