The NSW Government today has teamed with the Police Force, the Australian Hotels Association and the City of Sydney to launch the internationally recognised “Ask for Angela” safety campaign within the Sydney CBD.
Under the program, which originated two years ago in Lincolnshire, England, when a patron “Asks for Angela” at a participating venue, the code-word triggers a response from trained staff who will discreetly escort that person to safety or contact authorities for further assistance.
The concept is already being successfully trialled by Police, the AHA and Liquor Accords in Wagga, Albury, Orange and most recently Byron Bay.
The Sydney CBD trial formally begins on Saturday 14 at Licensed venues across the Sydney CBD.
If one of the parties to a date feels uncomfortable or that encounter starts to take on a darker tone, then that person can approach staff and “Ask for Angela." Staff would then seek to discreetly escort that person to safety.
