North Wales Police is working with holiday parks this summer to help prevent incidents of violence against women and girls (VAWG) amongst holidaymakers.
In a bid to ensure the safety of those visiting the area, officers from the Preventative Policing Team will deliver training to staff at holiday parks to raise awareness and be vigilant of signs of domestic violence and spiking during the nighttime economy.
It is hoped staff members who witness suspicious behaviour will feel empowered to report it to the police.
The training comes as the North Wales population increases dramatically over the summer months due to being a popular holiday destination. A larger population can also result in more demand on local emergency services.
Hospitality staff are often faced with hundreds of different customers each week so it’s important for them to feel confident to challenge certain behaviours or raise the alarm if needed.
Licensing Officer Liz Williams said: “We’ve recently delivered this training to a holiday park in Pwllheli, where the population quadruples over the summer months.
“Bar staff and Security were trained to recognise signs of domestic violence, and symptoms of drug use, types of drugs commonly used in the nighttime economy and spiking.
“We also discussed what to do if they suspect child sexual exploitation or county lines offences are happening on site.
“This preventative approach aims to empower hospitality staff to spot when something isn’t right and inform us quickly so that we can deal with it before it escalates.
“Any holiday park that has not yet received this training and would like to take part is encouraged to get in touch via our website.”
