Lewisham report

Report: 2
Report for the Domestic and Sexual Violence Board
Date: 13 April 2010
By Detective Inspector Peter Hopkinson

1.1. The purpose of this report is to inform the MPA Domestic and Sexual Violence Board on the work by Lewisham (B)OCU and SCD2 to:

• Keep Victims Safe
• Tackle domestic and sexual violence
• Hold offenders to account
• Bring offenders to Justice
• Increase reporting of domestic and sexual violence
• Maintain work in partnership with organisations and communities to continuously improve the MPS response to domestic and sexual violence.

1.2. In 2009 Lewisham Police has consistently been amongst the three boroughs with the highest number of reports of Domestic Violence within the Metropolitan Police District. This is alongside our neighbouring south London boroughs of Southwark and Croydon. After two years of increased reports of DV in Lewisham, 2009 has seen a decrease by 159 incidents and 549 offences compared to the previous year. This data appears to be in contrast to our partner agency ‘Women Against Domestic Violence’ who show an increase in reported domestic violence to them. This is a concern for the Police who are currently working with our partners to identify the cause for differing figures. We are doing this by scrutinising ethnicity and self defined ethnicity codes for victims (the only recorded data) in an effort to establish if the decrease in reporting is within one particular group.

1.3. The borough is set performance targets for the year around sanction detection and arrest rates. The target for 2009/2010 was 46% sanction detections and 70% arrests. The Community Safety Unit has exceeded both of these targets which stand currently at 47.7% for sanction detections and 77.4% for arrests. These figures are matched and exceeded in the performance around Racial/Religious and Homophobic crime, which are also investigated by the CSU.

B2: Policy compliance and quality assurance.

• How does the (B)OCU and SCD2 use risk assessment and risk management tools to ensure victims/survivors are made safer, and that perpetrators are made accountable for their behaviour?

2.1. The first risk assessment takes place following the initial call to Police via the 999 system. The response to the call is graded and this grade is quality assured by METCALL and Integrated Borough Operations Supervisor (IBOS). All active DV incidents are initially classified as ‘I’ where the initial response is within 12 minutes. In this period there were 4027 calls shown as Type ‘29’ (Domestic Incident) of which 64% were responded to within the required time. This does compares less favourably with other emergency calls where 82.2% of calls are responded to within 12 minutes. However this equates to an average difference of 1 minute 40 seconds per call.

2.2. On arrival the initial investigating officer will risk assess the situation and in the case of DV is guided through this process by the book 124d which clearly outlines the minimum levels of risk assessment using the ‘SPECCS+’ model. The officer will then manage the identified risks using the ‘RARA’ model. Due to the MPS positive arrest policy this will, in the vast majority of cases, involve the arrest and removal of the suspect from the scene. The information is transferred onto a CRIS report at the earliest opportunity and is supervised by the Duty Sergeant, PL34. It is later supervised by the Crime Management Unit and a Detective Sergeant on the CSU. The 124d will include detailed notes from the officer, a witness statement from the complainant and authority to obtain medical evidence if that is required for a prosecution. These details are obtained at the time of reporting to enable the CSU to investigate the matter expeditiously enabling a prompt charge, remand and court appearance if appropriate. Where an immediate charge is not an option strict bail conditions will be imposed to ensure the safety of the victim and any children.

2.3. The investigation is allocated to a trained detective on the CSU. The officer will carry out detailed research for any previous incidents or intelligence of note to enable them to review the current risk assessment. They will also review the risk management and if necessary put in additional measures & refer to our partner agencies. All investigations are supervised every seven days by a Detective Sergeant and every 28 days by a Detective Inspector. At the conclusion of the investigation there will be a further risk assessment/management which is supervised by a CSU Detective Sergeant before the case is completed. High risk DV cases are referred to the MARAC who meet monthly to share information between agencies working in partnership within strict protocols to reduce the risk to the victim and any children.

2.4. There is a daily risk management meeting which is attended by the CSU Detective Inspector and outstanding risk issues are fed back to the Daily Management Meeting. Risks are often around outstanding suspects and there is also a weekly ‘Offender Management Meeting’ chaired by the Detective Superintendent. All outstanding suspects are scrutinised as well as forensic dockets and outstanding warrants and wanted circulations on the Police National Computer.

2.5. If there is a disclosure of rape or a serious sexual offence then the investigation is immediately referred to SCD/2. The risk management policy around SCD2 investigations differs slightly from DV investigations. Following the initial report a trained SOIT officer will be assigned within an hour to the victim. The SOIT along with the Investigating Officer will carry out a detailed risk assessment. This will be documented within the SOIT log and the CRIS report. The investigation for serious sexual offences can be more complex than for the majority of DV offences where there is a positive arrest policy. The investigation is victim focused but careful consideration is given to the rape category, eg: ‘Stranger One’, where there is no previous connection. ‘Stranger Two’ where there has been a brief acquaintance or association. Forensic Strategies are also considered as well as the wishes of the complainant before a decision is made to arrest the suspect, taking into account the risk to the victim and the general public. SCD2 Intel Unit conducts daily reviews for all offences reported to Police over the previous 24 hours. A risk matrix is applied and all high risk cases are brought to Daily Management Meeting for further discussion and risk management. Risk assessments are subject to constant review in line with Standard Operating Procedures 10hour - DS, 7 days - DI, 28 days - DCI and every 28 days thereafter.

• What processes are in place to support officers and ensure that they are effectively implementing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), especially in cases where several procedures may be relevant to particular cases.

3.1. Both BOCU & SCD2 operate the MPS Standard Operating Procedures for the investigation of Serious Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence. These are detailed documents and so it is imperative to ensure that all staff, including supervisors have a good working knowledge of them. There is specific training around Domestic & Sexual Violence investigations for all student constables during their Intial Police Learning and Development Programme (IPLDP). These officers also complete a two week attachment to the Community Safety Unit (CSU) working alongside an experienced detective to highlight the practical advantages of thorough initial investigation and documentation. Officers receive additional training in domestic violence through the (B)OCU Training Unit. The last round of (B)OCU DV training involved a full day for all operational police officers with input into completing risk assessments and guidance on minimum standards of evidence in the Book 124d. Upcoming training in 2010 will build on the risk assessment/management training utilising the ‘DASH’ model which is also available now to all officers/staff via the online NCALT training packages.

3.2. The levels of supervision and scrutiny in both DV and SCD2 as detailed earlier in the report also ensure that any shortfallings in standards are dealt with quickly and effectively with feedback and additional training.

3.3. Detectives working on the CSU are all specifically trained in hate crime and sexual offences. This is covered during the detective training courses and in relation to DV in additional specific one and five day courses attended by all members of the CSU. There is also practical advice available to all officers via the CSU Service Delivery Team and SCD2 Sapphire Intranet sites. All SCD2 officers are required to attend a bespoke one week training course which covers all aspects of the investigation of rape and serious sexual violence. At this time 80% of SCD2 officers at Lewisham have undertaken this training with the remaining officers all having dates to attend.

3.4. The CSU is staffed between 7am and 10pm every day so officers are available to provide advice to front line officers during those times. Outside of those times there are two BOCU detectives on duty as well as the ‘On Call’ Detective Inspector.

3.5. SCD2 have 1 X DS 4 DC’s and 4 X SOIT officers who are available pan London via the SCD2 reserve desk throughout the night to deal with any serious sexual offences and also to offer advice and support to BOCU officers.

• What work is being done to ensure that the 124D (or DASH 2008) form is being used consistently across the borough in 100% of domestic violence cases and that the information it collects is being entered onto the relevant MPS IT assets/systems e.g.CRIS, MERLIN, CRIMINT?

4.1. The 124d ‘Domestic Violence Investigation/Arrest Form’ is currently being used in 83% of all DV reports on Lewisham Borough. This is an area for improvement currently being worked on by the CSU and Patrol Team Management. The supervision of positive action, risk assessment and 124d compliance is carried out by the initial investigating officer’s immediate line manager. This will include if the necessary intelligence indices have been researched and documented and if any new intelligence is gained during the investigation that it has been entered correctly onto the CRIS/CRIMINT systems. There will also be supervision around whether sufficient arrest enquiries have been made to apprehend the offender.

4.2. The 124d must be completed immediately and deposited with the IBO supervisor who allocates it a unique reference number. These 124d’s are then forwarded to the CSU on a daily basis where they are filed within the unit for easy access. The CSU DS will also quality assure the initial investigation for all medium and high risk cases before they are allocated for further investigation to a CSU detective.

4.3. Supervision for ‘non crime’ low risk cases remains with the line manager and the Crime Management Unit. Supervision will include ensuring MERLIN reports have been created in relation to any children. If these are not completed or not completed to a satisfactory standard the matter is dealt with at Inspector level. 124d compliance and outstanding suspects are discussed in detail at the daily Risk Management meeting and summarised for mention during DMM. The 124d has been used effectively in relation to DV cases since 2007 in Lewisham BOCU and so officers are very aware of the high standards required and the procedures in relation to their use.

• How does the (B)OCU and SCD2 support staff / officers who are experiencing domestic violence, and ensure suspected staff / officer perpetrators of domestic violence and sexual violence are held accountable for their behaviour.

5.1. In this reporting period there has been reports involving members of Police Staff as the alleged perpetrators of DV. There were no reports involving Police Officers as victims or perpetrators. In such cases the investigation follows corporate policies in relation to dealing with cases of DV or SV involving MPS staff. It does not differ from the SOPs for all cases of Domestic and Sexual Violence and places the emphasis on positive action.

5.2. All investigations where the suspect is a Police Officer or member of Police Staff are investigated in an open and transparent way, strictly in line with DV/SV policy to maintain public confidence. Lewisham BOCU has a good working relationship with Greenwich and Bromley (B)OCUs including a local agreement that all sensitive investigations involving MPS staff are investigated by the adjoining borough. This includes allegations of DV/SV.

5.3. Criminal Investigations involving Police Officers whilst on duty are investigated by the Directorate of Professional Standards in accordance with Standard Operating Procedures. Any off duty offences are investigated by the (B)OCU with any misconduct issues being dealt with by the DPS.

5.4. Support for MPS employees who are victims of Domestic Violence are well established through Occupational Health, Federation/Union and Welfare support services. The IDVA service is also well promoted to all staff within the BOCU. IDVA’s work within the Police Station and are always available to speak in confidence to members of staff experiencing DV either formally or informally.

• How does SCD2/ the (B)OCU respond to cases of sexual and/ or domestic violence in which there are counter allegations, multiple victims or multiple perpetrators. How many of these are there?

6.1. There are often DV incidents when Police attend and there are counter allegations between the parties with no other corroborative evidence. This is not unusual and most officers are experienced in dealing with such situations. A thorough investigation at the scene will hopefully establish the main aggressor in the incident. The Integrated Borough Operations (IBO) is available to the officer to conduct research into any history of violence between the two parties to enable an accurate and informed assessment of the situation and any risk. There may be times when circumstances are such that both parties are arrested but this is discouraged due to the legal issues this can cause. There will often be issues regarding child care and protection to be considered.

6.2. In the investigation of serious sexual offences there are rarely counter allegations made, more often, when there are issues around ‘consent’ or ‘age’ the perpetrator mitigation is that there was consent or lack of knowledge by the perpetrator around the age of the victim. It is therefore extremely important in order to negate any such issues that the initial investigating officer conducts a thorough investigation and that all such evidence is documented for the SCD2 team.

6.3. In DV cases it is quite common to have cases where there are multiple victims such as in harassment or threats of assault against family members. There have been 164 cases in this reporting period.

6.4. In cases of Honour Based Violence there can also be multiple victims and perpetrators. In these cases it is vital that all parties are interviewed separately for independent uninfluenced evidence as well as to ensure there is no contamination of evidence or loss of forensic opportunities. It is always important to separate the victim and perpetrator in all DV cases. There are strict guidelines to be adhered to when investigating allegations of Honour Based Violence and I will discuss this later in the report.

6.5. There are cases of multiple perpetrators in serious sexual offences and these are mostly around incidents more commonly known as ‘gang’ or ‘group’ rape. We are unable to provide exact figures for such cases in Lewisham although the figures are low on this borough. SCD2 are aware of the issues in these circumstances particularly in relation to the recent information around ‘Girls and Gangs’ where there is alleged initiation and punishment around gendered sexual violence.

6.6. Lewisham SCD2 has had one report where there has been more than one victim. All cases of multi-perpetrator rape are flagged to the SCD2 senior management team who will closely scrutinise the investigation ensuring that additional resources are provided where necessary. All agencies are aware of the increased membership by young women to violent gangs within the Borough. There will be a three monthly strategic meeting between Police and Partners, which will be chaired by the Detective Superintendent to review Serious Youth Violence including Gangs, Guns, knives and street crime.

6.7. We are unable to provide accurate figures for the number of DV & SV cases where there has been more than one perpetrator. This is due to the method of recording suspects within the CRIS system and so any data would not be accurate.

B3: Partnership working and Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP)

• What is the funding dedicated to tackling domestic and sexual violence from within the overall CDRP budget?

7.1. The Borough’s CDRP, the Safer Lewisham Partnership, has allocated the following funding, totalling £229,986, to domestic violence in 2009/10:

• £80,744 to Refuge to provide an IDVA Service within the Community Safety Unit at Lewisham Police Station. There is an IDVA Coordinator and 1.4 IDVAs who support high risk victims of domestic violence.
• £36,000 to Victim Support to provide an IDVA Service within the community, working with victims of intimate partner abuse (including male victims and LGBT victims), familial abuse and a Children’s Support Worker.
• £43,000 to TRYangle to pilot a Domestic Violence Intervention Programme for men who have been arrested and received a caution by Lewisham Police.
• £19,000 to Women Against Domestic Violence to provide an advocacy service for domestic violence victims, a free counselling service for women who have experienced any form of gendered violence, volunteering opportunities for victims of domestic violence and to coordinate a Community Groups Programme for women and children who have experienced domestic violence.
• £42,242 to fund a MARAC Coordinator post within LB Lewisham.
• £9,000 to carry out research into attitudes towards sexual behaviour of representative groups of young people in Lewisham and to compile a report summarising the findings that will form a key part in developing the strategy around sexually harmful behaviour.

7.2. Additionally the Safer Lewisham Partnership has successfully secured a number of bids for grant finance to augment funding from mainstream sources. These bids include:

• £20,000 from Ministry of Justice to expand the IDVA Service based at Lewisham Police Station to support the implementation of a Specialist Domestic Violence Court.
• £2,940 from the Home Office to provide CAADA IDVA training to the IDVA from Victim Support.
• £8,500 from the Home Office to deliver the “Theatre in Education” project, which explores the issue of sexual bullying.

7.3. CDRP provision is heavily focused on work around domestic violence and victim support. With the exception of the counselling service at ‘Women Against Domestic Violence’, provision for victims of rape and sexual violence is not directly supported by the Safer Lewisham Partnership. However, good partnership links exist with the Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Kings College and with Women and Girls Network and the Nia Project, both of whom provide services within Lewisham for victims of gendered violence.

• Is domestic violence and sexual violence considered as part of the annual Strategic Assessment? Has domestic and sexual violence been identified as a priority within the Partnership Plan?

8.1. Domestic and sexual violence were considered as part of the annual Strategic Assessment for 2009/10 and are currently being considered as part of the 2010/11 Strategic Assessment. In 2009/10 domestic violence was identified as one of five key priorities within the Partnership Plan. Sexual violence was also considered a priority within the Partnership Plan under the priorities of domestic violence and most serious violence.

• Are there are any CDRP domestic and/or sexual violence projects in progress?

9.1. In 2009 the Performance and Delivery Board commissioned research into domestic violence offenders in Lewisham. As a result of the findings of this research the Safer Lewisham Partnership approved a pilot project working with domestic violence offenders. Referrals to the Domestic Violence Intervention Programme will come largely from police within the CSU, where offenders are cautioned for a domestic violence offence and where there will be no ongoing criminal justice involvement. Referrals to the pilot will also be made by Probation, where domestic violence is not the index offence, but where domestic violence has been disclosed to the Probation Officer. The pilot will monitor levels of repeat offending amongst those men who complete the 12 week programme.

9.2. The Domestic Violence Prevention Project for Primary Schools is being rolled out in Lewisham. The project team deliver training to all school staff to enable them to do prevention work with children. The project helps schools to help children who have lived with domestic violence, helps schools to fulfil their legal obligations, helps schools deal with other related matters (such as bullying and building self esteem), helps schools to better understand how domestic violence affects children’s schooling and helps schools to help their pupils not to be the victims or perpetrators of the future.

9.3. The Community Groups Programme (CGP) will be piloted in Lewisham in April 2010. The CGP is an integrated community groups programme for children and their mothers who have experienced domestic abuse. The children’s groups help children begin the healing process by providing an opportunity for children to talk about what happened, helping them to understand it’s not their fault and teaching them how to develop a safety plan and practice it. The mother’s groups support women in understanding how best to help their children.

9.4. Lewisham is currently the only borough piloting a Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) for victims of serious youth violence. The Youth MARAC works to the same principles at the DV MARAC and their remit includes supporting victims of serious sexual violence. The Coordinators for the DV and Youth MARAC work closely to ensure that where cases meet the criteria for both MARACs the most appropriate referral is made, based on the victim’s needs.

9.5. Funding was secured in January 2010 to deliver the Theatre in Education ‘Sweet Love’ Project in Lewisham. ‘Sweet Love’ is a forum theatre production which explores the issue of sexual bullying. The play is designed to raise awareness of and encourage discussion between young people about sexual bullying. They also deliver drama-based INSET for teaching staff to build capacity in schools for work in this area. The project aims to increase young people’s understanding of the impact of their behaviour on others, encouraging them to change harmful behaviours.

9.6. Work is being carried out to develop a Sexually Harmful Behaviour Strategy. Research has taken place with eighteen focus groups of young people across the authority, looking at attitudes towards sexual behaviour. An active working group is in place to address Sexual Bullying and Violence, reflecting the partnership commitment to this issue. The group is currently developing Lewisham’s overarching strategy to address sexual bullying and violence, and working to promote healthy emotional relationships between young people in the borough.

9.7. The Girls and Gangs Forum is a sub group of the YOS Serious Violence Group. The aim of the Girls and Gangs Forum is to develop joined up working of services for young women who are vulnerable and at risk of sexual violence and/or financial and criminal exploitation through association with violent gang activity. The Forum raises the profile of the issue and the need for ongoing intervention with young women, builds on existing services and good practice to ensure robust approaches to the safeguarding of young women in the borough, investigates available services for young women and supports the development of services with creative solutions, tailored to meet young women’s needs.

9.8. Between October and November 2009 Women and Girls Network (WGN) delivered a series of prevention workshops to young women and girls in Lewisham who had experienced, or were at risk of, gendered violence. It is intended that further prevention workshops will be delivered within Lewisham College and the Youth Offending Service later this year. WGN have also recently started delivering free 1:1 counselling sessions to women and girls who have experienced gendered violence. They have been asked to focus on victims of sexual violence given the significant provision that already exists within the borough around domestic violence.

9.9. In February 2010 the Nia Project are due to deliver the Family Learning Programme in Lewisham Children’s Centres. The programme is for women and children aged 0 to 4 years old from Black, Ethnic Minority and Refugee communities who have experienced any form of gendered violence, including domestic and sexual violence. The focus of the programme is on building positive relationships through play .

9.10. Lewisham Youth Offending Service are due to pilot the Respect Toolkit as one of the programme requirements of the new Youth Rehabilitation Orders. The Respect Toolkit is for those working with 13- 19 year olds around their violence in relationships. The success of this pilot will be monitored by the DV Strategy Group, and a decision will then be taken whether the project can be rolled out to other services within Lewisham working with 13-19 year olds.

9.11. In addition to the projects identified above, there are a range of specialist services supported by the Safer Lewisham Partnership, as outlined below:

Refuge Advocacy Service comprises of an IDVA Coordinator and 1.4 IDVAs, based within the Community Safety Unit at Lewisham Police Station. This service supports high risk victims through the criminal justice system, maintaining a focus on victim safety. Almost all referrals to this service come directly from CSU staff, and the IDVAs are available to offer specialist advice to police officers.

Victim Support offer a community based IDVA service. They offer support to victims of intimate partner abuse and familial abuse, including male victims and LGBT victims. Victim Support also have a Children’s Support Worker, who works with children who have witnessed domestic violence. In addition to offering 1:1 practical and emotional support, they also offer a weekly domestic abuse drop in surgery and a weekly women’s support group. The majority of referrals to Victim Support come from the police.

Women Against Domestic Violence offer practical and emotional support, advocacy, 1:1 counselling, volunteering opportunities and a weekly women’s support group. They provide a weekly satellite service based within Women’s Services at Lewisham Hospital.

Refuge Floating Support Service offers support for women who want to stay in their own homes. They offer practical and emotional support, safety planning and support with injunctions and cases within the family courts. They currently manage the Sanctuary Scheme within Lewisham.

The Girls Project was created to address mounting concerns about gendered violence amongst young people in Lewisham. It aims to engage young females to provide them with; introduction and access to local services, information about their rights if assaulted, opportunities to explore personal boundaries and effective ways of enforcing them and opportunities to learn from engagement with other females and to explore their own understanding of themselves as females. The Girls Project has four elements: 1) a performance of "Do you know where your daughter is?" - a play about the relationship between mother and daughter and the consequences of peer pressure; 2) school workshop sessions following the performance; 3) The Girls House - a female only space set up in empty shop fronts. Local services attend and run workshops, including sessions on gendered violence; 4) school workshops exploring different issues and experiences of chirpsing (local colloquial term for chatting up a girl). Students created a comic, including factual information from the police, which will be distributed to all young people in Lewisham via schools. Guidance will be distributed to all professionals on how to use the comic as a discussion tool with young people.

• How does the (B)OCU and SCD2 work in partnership with voluntary and statutory sector agencies locally? What training is delivered in partnership with the community?

10.1. The Lewisham Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) has been in operation since February 2009. It is coordinated by Lewisham Council and is currently chaired by the Detective Inspector for the CSU.

10.2. Since February 2009, within this reporting period, the MARAC has received 266 referrals. Of those cases discussed to date, 26% have been repeat referrals. Police referrals comprise 38% of all MARAC referrals. This is above the CAADA recommendation of 35%. All victims referred to the MARAC are allocated an IDVA, either from Refuge for the most high risk victims, or from Victim Support, who will make contact prior to the MARAC to offer support. .Victims who have experienced five or more crimes in the past 12 months are referred to the MARAC. Referrals are also made for victims of HBV or on professional judgment by MARAC members. It is the responsibility of the investigating officer to identify repeat victims and make the referral to MARAC.

10.3. At this time there is no specific DV Analyst in the Borough Intelligence Unit. Work is going on to address this issue so that quality assurance and research around repeat victims of DV and their referral to MARAC can be completed on a monthly basis. This has been shown to be good practice on other (B)OCU’s.

10.3. CAADA have completed stage one and two of the MARAC implementation process and were impressed with the multi agency buy-in to Lewisham MARAC, its coordination and operation, with particular praise given to the way sensitive information sharing decisions were reached. There were few negative observations but it was noted there were gaps in representation from A&E Adults Services and Mental Health Services. These concerns have now been addresses and all are now represented at each MARAC. SMART action plans were recommended and for these to be reiterated by the Chair. This is now normal procedure. There was concerns around differing risk assessments between Police and partner agencies. This has not been addressed as yet but consideration is being given centrally for Police to use the CAADA risk assessment (DASH) rather than the Police SSPECS+.

10.4. The Domestic Violence Strategy Group meet quarterly, and work together to provide a strategic framework for the prevention of domestic abuse, and the provision of borough wide protection, justice and support. They monitor and evaluate the implementation of the Lewisham Domestic Violence Strategy and Action Plan and establish standards of best practice within and between agencies. The Domestic Violence Strategy Group is chaired by the Council’s Head of Crime Reduction and Supporting People. The role and remit of the DV Strategy Group has recently been reviewed in response to, and in line with, the recently published ‘Violence Against Women and Girls’ strategy. For the next 2 quarterly meetings the group will pilot operating as a VAWG Strategy Group to prepare for the implementation of the VAWG Strategy, to be in place by April 2011.

10.5. The Domestic Violence Forum meet quarterly and works in partnership across different sectors to contribute towards policy and procedure for dealing with domestic violence in order to increase safety, improve services and reduce offending. The Forum also provides an opportunity for local organisations, communities and individuals to network and share information. Membership of the Forum is open to representatives and professionals of all organisations in Lewisham. The Chair of the Forum is elected on an annual basis, with the currently-elected Chair being the Domestic Abuse Service Manager from Victim Support.

10.6. Officers from the CSU participate in Community engagement events throughout the year. The CSU had a stall at the 2009 Lewisham People’s Day, giving information to the public about how the police deal with cases of domestic violence and hate crime. They also participated in an event to mark White Ribbon Day and the launch event for the review of women’s inequality in health within Lewisham.

10.7. Partnership work with the Haven – SCD2 at Lewisham continue to build on the previous good working relationships with the Haven at Kings College Hospital. There is a system of victim self referral in place at all Haven Clinics. A victim of SV can report at the Haven without Police involvement. Forensic evidence is obtained and this is passed anonymously to the Police to enable them to identify the assailant. If a suspect is identified then the victim is contacted by the Haven so that they can, with the help and support of Haven staff make an informed decision as to whether they want to substantiate the allegation. If they choose not to this information is held by Police and used for intelligence purposes only. Haven clinics will only take Police referrals/requests for examination from SOIT officers from SCD2. This is a long standing protocol to ensure that the necessary investigation has been conducted to ascertain if a forensic examination is appropriate in the circumstances. This is especially important out of hours when doctors and staff are called into the unit. Each Haven hold a monthly clinic where SOIT officers attend in order to meet with and assist victims of Serious Sexual Violence.

10.8. SCD2 have also forged closer links with the VSS to provide better victim care, this includes a protocol for the automatic referral of victims of rape and serious sexual violence. Additionally, SCD2 are in the process of identifying other partner agencies so that victims can be referred to them where appropriate. These include The Eaves project based in Southwark, The Scarlet Centre, The Women and Girls Network, Family Matters and Girls and Gangs. SCD2 also endeavour to work closely with Lewisham social services and have established protocols for the sharing of information especially in the case of child victims of sexual assault.

10.9. The (B)OCU and SCD2 do not currently deliver any training in partnership with the community.

• How does the (B)OCU and SCD2 monitor service user satisfaction and /or seek feedback from victims/survivors of domestic and sexual violence, and then integrate any improvements into policy and practice?

11.1. The CSU at Lewisham did not have a structured system in place to seek feedback from service users or victims of Domestic Violence. Feedback is sought from victims of non DV crime via a ‘call back’ system that is managed by the Performance Review Unit and MPS Volunteers. Implementation of such generic procedures for DV can be problematic without increasing the risk to the victim/survivor, especially if they remain in a relationship with the perpetrator.

11.2. The unit works closely with partner agencies and historically any feedback has been through these agencies who often offer longer ongoing support to victims outside of the Police and prosecution process. This includes Victim Support, and the IDVA’s. This feedback is acknowledged as adhoc and not consistent. It has historically focused on negatives when there have been problems within an investigation. The agencies feed back to the CSU Detective Inspector any concerns, or on occasions have assisted the victim in making a formal complaint either locally or to the IPCC. This agency feedback has also highlighted good work which is fed back by the management to the individual officers. Police complaints are in the majority of cases dealt with by local managers. Complaints are normally around individual actions rather than general practices and so these are resolved by informal action. If poor actions or bad practices are highlighted then they are addressed at a local level to insure that there is improvement. Good/poor practices are shared between CSU DI’s at monthly meetings at NSY.

11.3. The lack of feedback is an area of concern to the (B)OCU. Lewisham are currently formatting a generic letter and feedback sheet that will be sent to all people involved in any Domestic Incident to be implemented in April 2010. It will offer advice around seeking assistance from the many support agencies within the Borough as well as seeking feedback on the service they received from the MPS. At this time this will not be for victims of DV crime unless the investigation is complete and the officer in the case has incorporated this into their risk management strategy at the end of the investigation. The administration for this initiative will be conducted by an MPS volunteer working within the CSU.

11.4. SCD2 has a system of victim feedback that is requested at the end of the investigation. The SOIT officer will hand the feedback sheet to the victim personally and explain the process. The feedback is anonymous and is collated centrally before being fed back to the Directorate. This system is currently being reviewed with the intention of involving VSS to hand the feedback questionnaires to victims. This is intended to ensure that more feedback is received and that this feedback is honest.

11.5. The Haven also request feedback from their clients and this is information is shared with the Police.

• How does the (B)OCU and SCD2 ensure compliance with the Victims Code of Practice and that victims are provided with regular updates on cases and informed quickly of any changes or decisions (particularly those which may impact on their safety eg release on bail)?

12.1. Compliance to DV VCOP is the individual responsibility of each investigating officer within the CSU. This is a ‘Performance Objective’ for each officer and is regularly reviewed during individual supervision. The first victim contact is made or attempted within 24 hours of the report and then throughout the investigation especially around significant events such as arrest/charge/bail.

12.2. In cases where the perpetrator has been arrested and there is consideration for bail the OIC will have to complete a further risk assessment around the victim’s safety before bail is considered by the Custody Officer. This will involve a further consultation with the victim to assist the Custody Sergeant to decide if bail is appropriate, or the level of restrictions/conditions that need be put in place to ensure victim safety. The Custody Officer will also conduct a risk assessment on the NSPIS custody record.

12.3. There is strict supervision of VCOP on three levels. The seven day and ongoing supervision by CSU Detective Sergeants will ensure that there has been regular contact between the investigating officer and the victim. The Crime Management Unit has a Victim Focus Unit who deal specifically with VCOP compliance. They do not contact DV victims however they have quality assurance responsibilities to review the DETS of DV CRIS reports to ensure that all contacts have been documented on the VCOP data page. In recognition of the important work carried out by PCSO’s on Victim Focus Units (VPCSOs) funding has been ensured to secure the existing posts with increased patrolling responsibilities of six days a month.

12.4. The Performance Review Unit run daily enquiries on the NSPIS custody system against the VCOP figures to ensure that victims of DV have been informed of the arrest/bail/charge of the perpetrator. These figures, as well as other areas of failure, around VCOP are published and also sent directly to the CSU Detective Inspector to action.

12.5. VCOP compliance around DV and SV are not specifically collated by the (B)OCU. However these are the January 2010 figures for all reported crime on the borough.

• VSS Referral Code 95%.
• Victim Update 91%.
• Arrest of suspect 84%.
• Suspect Released 78%.
• Suspect charged 66%.
• Non Court disposal 70%.

Clearly there are areas for improvement in victim contacts following suspect arrest and disposal.

12.6. In addition to Police contacts, victims referred to the Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (IDVA) service also have regular updates from their support worker. IDVA’s work alongside investigators within the CSU and so are aware immediately of any change in risk to their clients such as a release on bail.

12.7. SCD2 VCOP performance is monitored by the SCD CMU. Supervision of VCOP compliance broadly mirrors the (B)OCU procedures. Due to the nature of the investigation for serious sexual assaults the levels of contact with the victim may be greater. Each case will have an individual investigating officer as well as a SOIT officer who will in most cases remain in place until the conclusion of the investigation. These contacts are documented with the SOIT and contacts logs as well as in the CRIS report. VCOP is closely managed by the SCD2 SMT and the crime management unit runs weekly checks to increase compliance. SCD2 teams are notified if failures are about to occur. Additionally, the office manager at Lewisham runs a rolling three weekly check to ensure that victims are being regularly updated.

• How does the (B)OCU and SCD2 build trust and confidence with hard to reach communities, particularly around sensitive cultural issues such as forced marriage and ‘honour’ based violence?

13.1 Lewisham CSU engages in numerous events to build trust with hard to reach communities. Lewisham has the largest Vietnamese community in London. Lewisham CSU has actively engaged with that community through ‘VAST’ an organisation that assists women from the Vietnamese, Asian, Somalian and Turkish Communities. Vietnamese women often come to the attention of Police through Cannabis or DVD ‘factories’ or selling illegal DVD’s in the street. It is widely accepted that some of these women are victims of domestic violence and are forced into running these premises by threats of assault. The women are isolated due to language and their immigration status. ‘VAST’ have provided Police with Refuge DV leaflets in Vietnamese. These have been made available within the Custody Office and to the CSU. The ‘Federation Against Copyright Theft’ (FACT) who jointly investigate DVD fraud have also been provided with these leaflets to assist women who may be victims of DV. There is also a Vietnamese speaking DV support worker within the borough who Police and other agencies are able to refer DV victims from this community to.

13.2. The CSU are currently working with SO15 Counter Terrorism Command to engage with women within the Afghan community to highlight the services available to them in relation to domestic violence and in particular forced marriage and HBV. This will include a presentation by a member of the CSU to an Afghan community group and then follow up support from the CSU and SO15.

13.3. Lewisham has a team of LGBT Liaison Officers. These officers are Police Officers and staff who attend community events throughout the year as well as assist in the investigation of DV and Hate Crime. One organisation that they regularly work with is the Metro Centre, an organisation providing services for LGB people across South East London. The Metro Centre hold counseling sessions for LGB men and women, 60% of whom claim to have experienced DV but have never reported to Police. The CSU and CPS will be holding jointly facilitated awareness sessions for the groups and are hopeful that this site will, in the near future, become a part of the third party reporting scheme that is run within the Borough.

13.4. In this reporting period there have been eight incidents that have been flagged as Honour Based Violence or Forced Marriage. These incidents are automatic referrals to MARAC where the numerous partner agencies work together to reduce the risk to the victims and their families.

13.5. Work is also done by Schools Officers and Safer Neighbourhoods Teams in both primary and secondary schools around safety within families.

13.6. Lewisham BOCU have been working towards third party reporting sites within the borough. The launch for the scheme was on the 1st March 2010 where there are now eight non police sites where members of the community can report all forms of hate crime. It is hoped that these non police environments would be more conducive to victims of HBV to enable more to come forward for help.

13.7. SCD2, as a new unit, are developing strategies around proactive involvement with hard to reach communities. This includes using officers from the CCRU to engage with victims in their own language. SCD2 staff are experienced investigators who have previously worked within DV and sexual violence roles and as such already have good working relationships with support agencies such as VSS, Asian Womens Aid and Southall Black Sisters. The DS is currently contacting support agencies throughout the borough in order to set up protocols for referral and victim support.

13.8. SCD2 needs to build and maintain support with outside organisations/support groups such as Eaves and the Poppy Project currently in existence but continued funding for these projects cannot be guaranteed.

• Where there have been recommendations from Homicide reviews or serious case reviews what are they and how have they been implemented?

14.1. In the reporting period there have been four DV flagged homicides on Lewisham Borough. Three were familial incidents and one where the victim and perpetrator had previously been in a relationship. There are currently 2 reviews in progress by the Violent Crime Directorate for the homicides that occurred in September and October 2009.

14.2. The Detective Inspector for the Community Safety Unit has consulted and requested information sharing from all the statutory agencies as well as all agencies that are members of the local MARAC. In both homicides there have been no previous DV incidents reported to the Police or other agencies. Recommendations from any Homicide/Serious Case review are fed back to the borough and to the SCD1 Murder Investigation Teams in a report so that future procedures and strategy are carefully considered. The Detective Superintendent will, following implementation of recommendations from these reviews ensure a further three to six month review is conducted to ensure compliance and learning opportunities are maximised.

14.3. Two DV Homicide reviews have been conducted. In both reviews it was identified that there had been no previous DV involvement with Police by either the victim or the perpetrator. In one case there were no recommendations. The recommendations in the second case were to promote DV services within the borough in an effort to encourage reporting, especially in hard to reach communities. These recommendations are acknowledged and have been put into action by all of the work currently being conducted by the CSU and our partner agencies.

14.4. At the present time such reviews are requested and chaired by the Commander from the Violent Crime Directorate and so the whole process is Police led. There is currently a review of the process in which consideration is being given for that lead to be taken by the chairperson of the CDRP. This will ensure that the review has a more multiagency emphasis leading to greater accountability and better understanding of roles and responsibilities from all partners.

• What have been the benefits and challenges of implementing SCD2 locally?

15.1. Lewisham SCD2 are fully staffed with a DCI, I X DI, 3 X DS’s, 9 X DC’s and 9 X SOIT officers. All staff applied and were selected to work in this specialist area and have been specifically trained in the investigation of Serious Sexual Offences. The team work within geographic clusters and within the Specialist Crime Directorate so they are able to call upon support from other SCD units more easily than when they were a (B)OCU resource. A benefit to the victim is that when they are assigned a SOIT officer that officer will be more likely to remain with them throughout the whole investigation and not be diverted to other duties. Often in the past this did not happen due to (B)OCU boundaries issues or other staff commitments.

15.2. The investigation remit is far narrower than the previous Sapphire Unit and so detectives are more focussed to concentrate on these complex investigations and the care and welfare of the victims. The less serious sexual offences are now investigated by the (B)OCU CID whereas before they were allocated to SOIT Officers who investigated them in addition to their ‘chaperone’ role for rapes. This has resulted in challenges in individual work levels for the CID Teams but greater expertise within the investigation for less serious sexual offences. The CID teams have themselves now been restructured with increased staffing levels of 4 teams comprising of 1 X DS and 5 DC’s.

15.3. There has been an impact on the (B)OCU due to changes in forensic strategy by SCD2. Crime Scenes are held by Police for longer whilst a more thorough initial investigation is completed and a bespoke forensic strategy formulated. SCD2 do not have their own forensic staff or Crime Scene Managers and rely on the availability of local Scenes of Crime Officers.

15.4. A major challenge has been finding suitable accommodation for the Lewisham SCD2 team. The amalgamated Lewisham and Bromley teams currently work from a small office at Lewisham Police Station as this was the only office accommodation available and is too small for the purpose. The DCI and DI do not have their own offices. The search for more adequate accommodation is on-going but no time scale has been given. There is also a high work load for staff and so retention of staff may also be an issue in the future.

• How have close working practices been maintained between SCD2 and the (B)OCU?

16.1. Lewisham SCD2 are still based within Lewisham Police Station which has proved a benefit for local officers for advice and support. All of the current crimes investigated are from within the borough and so there is still close liaison between SCD2 and local officers. A number of the SCD2 staff were recruited from the local CID and so are familiar faces who are aware of the challenges of working within such a busy borough and are able to promote SCD2 services to local officers.

16.2. There were challenges around the speed of the implementation and the loss to the (B)OCU of experienced detectives. This was balanced as Sapphire detectives who chose not to transfer to SCD2 returned to the (B)OCU CID.

16.3. During the changeover period all crimes were reviewed before SCD2 took over ongoing investigations. There was a lot of consultation from both areas of business. There was also a review around exhibits and forensic samples that were stored at Lewisham. A huge amount of work was undertaken by (B)OCU staff in consultation with SCD2 to ensure that these were transferred and retained away from the Borough to allow for SCD2 to have clear access to current forensic facilities for new investigations.

16.4. In many cases, where the actual nature of the allegation is yet to be established (B)OCU detectives and SCD detectives / SOITs work together to ensure that the victim is given the support that they need and the correct investigating unit is identified. Additionally, SCD2 maintain responsibility for both the Burley comfort suite and the ABE interview rooms so there is liaison between them and the BOCU in relation to the use of these, no problems have been identified in this area.

16.5. There is close cooperation at DI level between SCD2 and the BOCU especially those who work in the CSU, CID and Intelligence functions.

• Where there have been cases of ‘honour’ based violence has the HBV Action Plan proved fit for purpose? If not how could it be improved?

17.1. There were six reports of honour based violence and two of forced marriage reported within Lewisham borough during this period. These are not a high numbers in comparison to other MPS (B)OCU’s. We are not complacent and are aware of the problems associated with the under-reporting with these types of crimes. The reported crimes range from malicious communications, harassment and assault. During this period the borough did not have a specific HBV action plan and advice was sought on an individual basis from the CSU Service Delivery Team around standards of risk management and investigation with reference to CSU Standard Operating Practices. This has been an extremely useful source of expertise especially when threats are made to harm family members who are not in the UK.

17.2. All reports of HBV are referred to the MARAC where all partner agencies discuss and try to reduce the risk to the victims. Victims of HBV are also referred to the IDVA service. In some cases there has had to be joint action in measures to safeguard the victim such as emergency accommodation. The multi agency approach has assisted and expedited the process for permanent re-housing outside of the area of risk.

17.4. Recommended procedures such as documenting identification, taking the victim’s photograph fingerprints, DNA, and recording passport details are considered and requested in all HBV cases.

17.3. Following research for this report it has been identified that an action plan for honour based violence and forced marriage is required for the borough. This will be written and implemented within the next month.

• What have been the successes and areas for improvement for Public Protection Desks?

18.1. Lewisham BOCU Public Protection Desk consists of a Detective Inspector, who also has responsibility for other areas of Public Protection, a Detective Sergeant, a Detective Constable and 2 Police Constables. There are also 2 Police Staff researchers.

18.2. The successes of the PPD are around the increased scrutiny, risk management and quality assurance for Police referrals to our partner agencies. A MERLIN report is created by an officer when a child or young person under the age of 18 comes to the notice of Police in circumstances where the minimum standards for the ‘Every Child Matters’ policy have not been met. In the case of Domestic Violence this will invariably be when they are present or are in some way connected to a reported Domestic Incident. It may be where, due to Domestic Violence, the standards of their care and wellbeing are not of an acceptable standard. This report is then supervised by the PPD and researched against other Police indices. Any known information about the child is then shared in a PAC report to the Social Services within specific time frames. This has led to closer working relationships around child welfare with partner agencies. The Detective Sergeant for PPD also plays an important role within the Youth MARAC where a Multi-Agency risk management strategy is formulated around vulnerable young people who have been referred to the committee.

• What single improvement do the BOCU think the MPS could make which would greatly improve the response to a) domestic and b) sexual violence locally?

19.1. Domestic Violence. At the present time there are differing performance targets for the Police and the CPS. The Police are judged by the number of sanction detections and public satisfaction. The CPS are judged on the attrition and conviction rates for Domestic Violence and sexual assaults. Both are committed to dealing effectively with the perpetrators of domestic violence by bringing them to justice. These conflicts mean that there could be over emphasis on charging by the Police when other outcomes are more appropriate, against a reluctance to charge and not support victimless prosecutions by the CPS. This is generally managed by the Prosecution Team Performance Meeting (PTPM) who identify areas of learning and set in place strategic decisions to resolve such issues.

19.2. The CPS has set up a London Rape Charging Centre to deal with charging decisions in cases of rape and serious sexual violence. This has been established to try and improve the service the CPS provides and to speed up charging decisions. It is too early to say if this is successful. Further training for police officers on basic scene management would also be beneficial.

19.3. SCD2 is short of resources since an increase in reported allegations. The command is actively engaged in looking at the reallocation of officers so that the model more closely matches the agreed national ACPO standard of each SOIT and DC with a maximum workload of 28 cases in one year. The command is currently running at an anticipated 50 and 40 cases respectively. This cannot be broken down further due to the make-up of the Lewisham/Bromley cluster.

What do you think the MPA Domestic and Sexual Violence Board and its members could do to help or support SCD2 / the (B)OCU in dealing with domestic and/or sexual violence?

20.1. Align the performance targets of MPS and CPS for DV offences. Ensure that with the inevitable reduced budgets and increased expectations, sufficient resources are in place in Community Safety Units so the expectations on Police officers and staff are realistic and do not put the public and Police at risk. Support officers and managers so that increased scrutiny does not mean increased bureaucracy taking officers away from front line and investigative roles.

20.2. In line with the Stern report, their assistance is required in underpinning the need to measure SV performance less around detection rates and more around the quality of service provided to the victim.

• Equality and Diversity Statement.

21.1 Lewisham Borough recognises that domestic and sexual violence exists within all social and economic groups and across every aspect of diversity. We ensure that all victims of DV or SV are dealt with according to their individual needs and this is put in practice by working closely in partnership with all of our statutory and voluntary partners whilst ensuring that carefully drafted practices and policies are adhered to.

21.2 Lewisham Police Station is a new building and so is easily accessible to all members of the public, members of staff and partners. As a specifically designed building for modern policing we have a number of special facilities to enable victim care is a priority, such as ‘The Burley Suite’. This incorporates a comfort lounge with child care facilities, a medical examination room with bath and shower facilities, as well as video interviewing facilities. The suite has its own separate entrance away from the custody suite and the main public entrance.

21.3 There is a third party reporting scheme in place where victims of all forms of hate crime are able to report to the Police through non police organisations, such as Victim Support, Citizens Advice or Housing Associations.

21.4. Due to the reduction in reported Domestic Violence within the borough, work is being conducted by the DV Forum to identify if the reduction is from any specific group within the community. This will enable the CSU to monitor if the reduction is because of specific preventative and awareness measures within that community or due to under-reporting and lack of public confidence in the Police.

21.5. Lewisham CSU Detective Inspector is a member of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults review group who meet monthly. Cases of suspected carer abuse or the neglect of vulnerable adults are referred by all partner agencies to the committee to review the case and any ongoing investigation.

21.6. Lewisham Police has working groups in relation to all of the six equality strands. These groups have membership from Police Officers and Staff as well as members of the community. The groups look at all aspects of diversity involving the Police both within and outside the organisation in support of the MPS Equalities Scheme and Diversity Action Plan.

21.7. Lewisham Police encourages the reporting of crime from the disabled community by distributing the ‘True Vision’ Disability Hate Crime Reporting Pack. This incorporates a reporting booklet and an incident reporting form. These packs are available at all the third party reporting sites.

 Quantitative information

Domestic Violence (in numbers unless stated otherwise	12 months to 31 Jan 2010
Incidents	5820
Crimes	2451
Crimes as a % of Incidents	42.1%
Repeat Victimisation Crimes	129
% of all DV Crimes	5%
Unsupported DV prosecutions (CPS figures)	334 DV Prosecutions. 188 Successful. 146 unsuccessful. 50 Key witness did not support prosecution. 8 Victim refused to give evidence.
% of all DV Crimes	2.36%
Crimes flagged honour based/ forced marriage	8
Number of DV Homicides	4
Sanction Detections	1177
Sanction detection rate %	48.0%
Number of cautions	618
Cautions as a % of all SDs	52.5%

Sexual Offences - BOCU (in numbers unless stated otherwise)	12 months to 31 Jan 2010
Incidents	303
Crimes	216
Crimes as a % of Incidents	71.3%
Sanction detection rate %	26.9%
Number of Cautions	8
Cautions as a % of all SD's	13.8%
Serious Sexual Offences (as defined by SCD2) Investigated by BOCU since 23.09.20091 (if any)	5

Sexual Offences - SCD2 (in numbers unless stated otherwise)	12 months to 31 Jan 2010
Incidents	85
Crimes	70
Crimes as a % of Incidents	82.4%
Repeat Victimisation Crimes	7
% of all SSO Crimes	3%
SCD2 Sexual Offences flagged as DV	13
Sanction Detections	3
Sanction detection rate %	4.3%
Number of Cautions	0
Cautions as a % of all SDs	0.0%
Incidents 'no-crimed' or 'crime related incident	16
Incidents 'no-crimed' or 'crime related incident as a % of Incidents	18.8%
Incidents referred to the Havens	39
Non-Serious Sexual Offences (as defined by SCD2) Investigated by SCD2 since 23.09.2009 (if any)	7

Victim Diversity

Gender

	Female	Male
DV incidents	79.6%	19.9%
DV offences	80.5%	18.6%
DV SDs	81.4%	17.1%
SSO2 incidents	94.0%	6.0%
SSO offences	94.2%	5.8%
SSO SDs	100.0%	0.0%

Ethnicity

	White	BME	UR4
DV incidents	50.7%	45.6%	3.8%
DV offences	51.6%	45.6%	2.8%
DV SDs	54.0%	43.3%	2.7%
SSO2 incidents	43.4%	53.0%	3.6%
SSO offences	46.4%	49.3%	4.3%
SSO SDs	66.7%	33.3%	0.0%

Disability

	Yes	No	UR4
DV incidents	1.9%	97.7%	0.4%
DV offences	1.6%	97.5%	0.9%
DV SDs	1.8%	96.7%	1.5%
SSO2 incidents	7.2%	92.8%	0.0%
SSO offences	4.3%	95.7%	0.0%
SSO SDs	0.0%	100.0%	0.0%

Age Group

	< 18	18 - 35	36 - 60	60>
DV incidents		57.5%	37.0%	3.9%
DV offences		60.6%	34.0%	3.0%
DV SDs		59.9%	32.4%	4.0%
SSO2 incidents	37.3%	41.0%	21.7%	0.0%
SSO offences	37.7%	37.7%	24.6%	0.0%
SSO SDs	0.0%	33.3%	66.7%	0.0%

Sexual Orientation

	LGB&T	UR4
DV incidents	0.1%	99.9%
DV offences	0.1%	99.9%
DV SDs	0.2%	99.7%
SSO2 incidents	0.0%	100.0%
SSO offences	0.0%	100.0%
SSO SDs	0.0%	100.0%

Accused Diversity

Gender

	Female	Male
DV incidents	12.1%	87.9%
DV offences	12.2%	87.8%
DV SDs	11.4%	88.6%
SSO2 incidents	0.0%	100.0%
SSO offences	0.0%	100.0%
SSO SDs	0.0%	100.0%

Ethnicity

	White	BME	UR4
DV incidents	49.0%	50.7%	0.4%
DV offences	48.9%	50.7%	0.4%
DV SDs	48.1%	51.6%	0.4%
SSO2 incidents	57.1%	42.9%	0.0%
SSO offences	57.1%	42.9%	0.0%
SSO SDs	66.7%	33.3%	0.0%

Disability

	Yes	No	UR4
DV incidents	2.7%	97.3%	0.0%
DV offences	2.6%	97.4%	0.0%
DV SDs	2.9%	97.1%	0.0%
SSO2 incidents	0.0%	100.0%	0.0%
SSO offences	0.0%	100.0%	0.0%
SSO SDs	0.0%	100.0%	0.0%

Age Group

	< 18	18 - 35	36 - 60	60>
DV incidents		64.6%	33.9%	1.4%
DV offences		64.7%	33.7%	1.5%
DV SDs		64.0%	34.4%	1.5%
SSO2 incidents	0.0%	71.4%	28.6%	0.0%
SSO offences	0.0%	71.4%	28.6%	0.0%
SSO SDs	0.0%	66.7%	33.3%	0.0%

Sexual Orientation

	LGB&T	UR4
DV incidents	N/A	N/A
DV offences	N/A	N/A
DV SDs	N/A	N/A
SSO2 incidents	N/A	N/A
SSO offences	N/A	N/A
SSO SDs	N/A	N/A

Administration

(as at 31 Jan 2010)

	Community Safety Unit	Sapphire Unit
No. of Posts:	1 DI, 2 DS, 23 DC/PC	1 DI, 3 DS, 9 DC, 9 SOIT
No. of Vacant posts:	1 X DS, 4 X DC/PC	0
Officers/Staff trained in Child Protection	21	0
Officers/Staff trained in ‘honour’ based / forced marriage	15	1
Officers/Staff trained in stalking and harassment	15	22
Officers/Staff trained in victim care	21	9
Officers/Staff trained in sexual offences investigation	7	20
Officers/Staff trained in domestic violence investigation	21	0
Number of feedback forms distributed to victims by Sapphire team	N/A	0

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