Thousands of police to be trained to spot ‘subtle’ DA
The Metropolitan Police Service (Met) in London will train 8,000 frontline officers to identify and gather evidence of coercive controlling behaviour, recognise perpetrator tactics, and understand the dynamics of domestic abuse. “We are developing the ability of our officers to spot subtle signs, behaviour and traits of all forms of domestic abuse,” said detective superintendent […]
Rise in DA in Scotland after legislation
Scottish police recorded 62,907 incidents of domestic abuse in the 12 months to March 2020, That represents a 4% year-on-year increase in the first year of the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act being in force. To coincide with its implementation on 1 April 2019, the government ran a campaign to raise public understanding of domestic abuse […]
Police chief says officers accused of DA must face investigation
All serving police officers accused of domestic or sexual abuse should face misconduct hearings as well as criminal investigations, according to Louisa Rolfe, the lead on domestic abuse in England and Wales for the National Police Chiefs’ Council. She was commenting after it emerged 144 women have come forward to claim domestic abuse, rape or […]
Police officer awarded for her domestic abuse work
Chief Inspector Sharon Baker of Avon and Somerset Police has earned the Outstanding Contribution to Women in Policing Award 2021, partly for sharing an online video recounting her experience of living in a controlling and abusive relationship. She was presented with the award at the Police Federation of England and Wales’ annual conference held this […]
DA work earns superintendent QPM
Detective Chief Superintendent Steve Rayland, Sussex constabulary’s lead for public protection including domestic abuse, has been awarded the Queen’s Policing Medal (QPM) in the Birthday Honours List During the Covid-19 pandemic he reviewed and restructured the force’s response to incidents of domestic abuse as victims could be confined at home, hampering their ability to report […]
Dozens helped in new police DA project
Domestic abuse car crews in Teesside helped 39 survivors in the first four weeks of being on the road. The cars, staffed by police officers and specialist support workers from local agencies, are used every weekend as second responders to incidents. In 23 deployments, 39 people subjected to domestic abuse were given on-the-spot emotional support […]
More legal protection for DA victims in Scotland
Scottish police and courts can ban suspected domestic abusers from re-entering the home and approaching or contacting a person at risk after the nation’s Parliament passed the Domestic Abuse (Protection) (Scotland) Bill. The measures are aimed at enabling the victim to have time to consider their longer-term options around safety and housing. The legislation will […]
Chief inspector recounts her time as DA victim
Chief Inspector Sharon Baker of Avon and Somerset Police has spoken about her experience of domestic abuse to show how it can happen to anyone. “Domestic abuse doesn’t discriminate. People may be surprised an officer has had this experience, but anyone can be a victim,” she was quoted as saying by the Bath Live news […]
Two police forces employ technology to help DV victims
Staffordshire Police are giving mobile phones to some domestic violence victims in emergency accommodation to help them stay in touch with the constabulary and other key agencies, while the Metropolitan Police Service (Met) in London is using Whatsapp for Clare’s Law alerts. The Staffordshire initiative in Stoke-on-Trent is part of a wider effort to provide […]
Domestic abuse cases at record levels in Scotland and NI
Charges covering domestic abuse in Scotland are at their highest figure since 2015-16, while the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has recorded the highest number of DA incidents since record began 15 years ago. Domestic abuse and stalking charges in Scotland totalled 30,718 in 2019-20, a rise of 5.7% on the previous year. An […]
