From Dudley Police and may be of interest to victims of domestic violence. Regrettably, an issue we anticipate we will have to help people with when we open as a Community Information Point. Meantime, read this: New tool for police to tackle domestic violence in the West Midlands Police in the West Midlands have a new tool from today (Monday 30 June) to tackle domestic violence following the rollout of a new scheme following a successful pilot in other parts of the country. The force is adopting the use of domestic violence protection notices and orders (DVPNs and DVPOs) which gives officers and magistrates the power to protect survivors following a domestic violence incident. They allow a perpetrator to be banned from returning to a residence and from having contact with the victim for 48 hours initially and then up to 28 days following a magistrates court hearing. The notices are aimed at allowing the domestic abuse sufferer time to consider their options and get support. Police officers working in Wolverhampton, Walsall, Dudley and Sandwell will be the first to use the civil powers with Birmingham, Solihull and Coventry due to follow in the coming weeks and months. Assistant Chief Constable Carl Foulkes, who oversees the PPU, said: These new powers are a positive step forward in empowering sufferers by providing them with a ‘cooling off’ period following incidents of domestic abuse. It gives them the breathing space they need to consider their options and the added assurance of knowing they are not responsible for asking police to impose the orders, because this can be done even without their consent. Officers from the force’s Public Protection Unit (PPU) are receiving training on the new legislation as part of a five-day programme taking place this week to ensure they are fully familiar with the powers available to them. The inputs are part of a long-term internal education strategy aimed at giving police officers the knowledge and confidence they need to tackle crime that affects the most vulnerable members of society - including domestic abuse. ACC Foulkes added: We’ve made extensive advances in the way we tackle domestic abuse, particularly since our dedicated Public Protection Unit was formed in 2010 and last year we ran Operation Sentinel, a campaign specifically aimed at providing a better service to vulnerable victims of crime. We’re always looking to improve our performance and are specifically looking at gaining a better understanding of domestic abuse in the West Midlands. As a police force we have excellent local and national partnerships and our combined efforts are working because more victims are now speaking out. If you’re suffering in silence, please speak out as there are a range of support services available to you from the police and a raft of other agencies. We have specially trained and experienced officers who can offer practical advice and support in all aspects of domestic abuse. Speaking before his death Police and Crime Commissioner Bob Jones said: We need to do everything we can to ensure that victims are given the right support, to give them confidence that their situations will be handled safely and sensitively. From 1 October of this year, Police and Crime Commissioners will be responsible for commissioning the majority of victims’ services locally through a budget from the Ministry of Justice. For that reason, I will be holding a summit event on 8 July to consult on the future commissioning models for services for victims for crime. Details of the Victims Come First Summit are available on my website (westmidlands-pcc.gov.uk/consultation/victims-should-come-first-8-july-2014). Dudley Police Partnerships Team Brierley Hill Police Station Dudley Local Policing Unit Tel: 101 ex 7902 6622 Direct Line: 0121 626 8127 [email protected]
Posted on: Thu, 03 Jul 2014 12:06:01 +0000
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