This in from the police, in their own words, Ed
The force and Police and Crime Commissioner are committed to tackling domestic abuse as a priority. In September 2013 the Home Secretary commissioned HMIC to conduct an inspection of all Forces across the UK, this focussed solely on issues surrounding domestic violence.
The report found that front line officers in Hampshire have received specific domestic abuse training and there is emphasis on making sure that victims are safe. Some officers have received additional training covering coercive control, stalking, harassment and ‘honour based’ violence.
Developing relationships with partner agencies
High risk cases receive a great deal of scrutiny and high risk victims of domestic abuse (those at high risk of serious harm or murder) receive a good level of service. Good working relationships have also been developed with partner agencies to ensure the best outcomes for victims.
We’d like to thank these agencies for their ongoing work and support in this area. The Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub for Hampshire which was launched in January 2014 is just one example.
Engaging with communities
Hampshire Constabulary has a dedicated public protection department with specialist safeguarding officers who work with partners to reduce the risk of harm to medium and high risk victims. There are examples of good practice in different parts of the force where we are engaging with communities who are typically more difficult to reach or who are reluctant to make contact.
For example, in Southampton specific engagement officers have been allocated to work with the Polish community to raise awareness of domestic abuse and how to report concerns.
Improvements will continue to be made
Responding to recommendations made in the report Superintendent Ben Snuggs from Hampshire Constabulary said:
“The force is working to improve how it can better identify repeat victims through its IT systems. More information on serial domestic abuse perpetrators will also be provided to local officers, so that they can help to deal with these offenders effectively and help to reduce the risk to victims.
“The report has also highlighted a number of areas where we can further strengthen our response to domestic abuse. We will provide even more extensive training to local investigators and will ensure that the quality of investigation on scene is of the highest standard possible.
“While we recognise that high risk victims of domestic abuse receive a good level of service in Hampshire, improvements will continue to be made to address people involved in incidents assessed as standard risk.”
Get in touch
If you’re concerned that you or someone you know is at risk of domestic abuse, you have the right to ask the police for more information.
The domestic violence disclosure scheme can let you know if a partner or former-partner has a history of abusive relationships. For more information go to: www.hampshire.police.uk/domestic-abuse
Image: Run Jane Fox under CC BY 2.0
