'Hands Off!': Vancouver police take aim at gropers with new campaign

Vancouver police have partnered with Metro Vancouver Transit Police and Barwatch in a public awareness campaign about unwanted sexual touching.

The Hands Off! campaign is a city-wide effort toremind would-be offenders that groping is a crime that could result in an arrest and sexual assault charges, according to a police statementemailed Tuesday.

The campaign group plans to put up posters in Vancouver bars which are members of the crime watch group called BarWatch, inside Translink SkyTrain and Canada Line cars, and on bus shelters throughout the city.

"It appears that some people don't understand that groping is a crime," said Vancouver police Sgt. Steve Addison. "We are concerned about the number of groping incidents we are seeing in the city."

'Numbers are high'

Since the beginning of 2018, The Vancouver Police Department says it hasinvestigated 174 reports of unwanted sexual contact from strangers in public places. Another 75investigations have been initiated by Transit Policeon buses and SkyTrains in the city during that time.

"[Groping incidents]continue to be a serious issue on the transit system," said Transit Police Sgt. Clint Hampton. "Offenders need to realizethese are all sexual assaults, and anyone who commits an act of groping is a sexual offender."

Barwatch's Kendra Belsheim said the campaign is about creating a safe environment for staff and customers.

"Everyone who comes to a restaurant or bar deserves to feel safe, and nobody should have to worry about being grabbed by a stranger," said Belsheim.

The Vancouver police urgesanyone who thinks they have been a victim of unwanted sexual touching to call 911 immediately