The Metropolitan Police held a first Dusk Run in Walpole Park last week in a bid to tackle violence Against women and girls (VAWG).
The 3km run, held on 19 February, was organised by the Ealing Safer Neighbourhood team and was attended by around 40 participants.
The organisers’ aim was to create a safe exercising environment, particularly in the wake of a spate of crime in West Ealing, including a homicide on 10 February, which they recognised left residents feeling shaken.
Event organiser PC Emilie Waite, 26, said: “As a woman, I know what it’s like to finish work quite late and want to go on a run after work, and the parks near where I run are always closed at dusk, so we thought it’d be a good idea to keep this park open a little bit later.”
The Met already holds ‘Walk, Talk, and Do’ events, where residents can hold discussions with officers in public settings.
However, the force decided to expand the programme to include a night-time iteration for people who are unable to attend during the day.
The event began at 6pm, half an hour after Walpole Park’s usual closing time, and officers provided headtorches to the runners to combat the dark.
We Run Ealing running charity chair Tom Kerry said: “The evening was very welcoming and inclusive.”
A number of councillors were in attendance, including Ealing Broadway’s Seema Kumar, who praised the organisation of the event, and commented the whole endeavour was a great idea by the police.
She held constructive conversations with constituents about what the council can do to improve public safety too, and she said she would look into the suggestion of expanding local provisions for self-defence classes.
Police also welcomed suggestions on safety measures from participants and set up a gazebo where they could speak to residents, and discuss specific crime prevention for women, including domestic abuse, sexual violence, stalking, and harassment.
PC Waite encouraged the use of resources like Street Safe, where citizens can flag areas which make them feel unsafe, for reasons such as poor lighting, or anti-social behaviour, so the police can take action to improve them.
Following positive feedback, the organisers plan to hold similar events and are discussing the possibility of holding them later at night or on weekends so families could attend.
Waite hopes there will be a greater turnout of younger participants at future iterations to instil a greater sense of trust in the police among the younger generation.
She said: “Something that we want the most is for younger people to trust us and to share their thoughts and ideas.”
Kerry added We Run Ealing hopes to collaborate with the Safer Neighbourhood Team in the future so more people can enjoy running safely.
Picture credit: Mark Percy
Join the discussion