Plymouth review

An understanding of stalking and harassment risk assessment interviews will be embedded into initial PCSO training. We further recommend that the implications of scoring should be fully understood and that training should be ongoing.

All incidents perceived to be stalking will be reviewed by a duty Inspector and control room Sergeant. The panel further recommends that supervising officers must have received training in domestic abuse and stalking, including safety planning and evidence gathering.

All frontline officers will be reminded that thorough research on victims and suspects must be undertaken to inform the DASH risk assessment grade before any submission is made. The panel further recommends that officers are in no doubt that the DASH process cannot be a tick box exercise, and that certain characteristics are weighted more heavily than others.

A formal programme of refresher training will be introduced for all front line officers completing DASH risk assessments. The panel recommends that this should also include detective officers, supervising officers and control room staff.

Devon and Cornwall Police should embed domestic abuse risk assessment training and refresher training within a wider safeguarding training plan

The panel recommends that Devon and Cornwall Police ensure that training goes beyond awareness, and covers safety planning, safety advice, and knowledge of existing safety options like the silent solution. This should include taking consideration of victim fear and perpetrator persistence. If this training is not resource effective there should be clearly identified officers on duty who can be consulted on this type of subject knowledge. Identified officers could be clearly identified in a high profile manner. We recommend domestic abuse and stalking specialists/champions throughout departments. Training and specialism should be represented in detective departments. Any training package should be scrutinised to ensure that it will provide officers not only with awareness, but with skills to effectively carry out risk assessments and to be fully aware of all response options.

Where a history of stalking or domestic abuse is revealed officers should consider the option of disclosing this history to a victim at risk. There is a process for this. Victims could be supported to understand the risks posed by repeat abusers.

Public awareness of stalking and domestic abuse and the specific risks posed to victims, and dangerous behaviours in perpetrators is not high enough. Repeated public awareness campaigns through advertising or high profile posters, social media and TV, also to employers, could help people feel confident to disclose, and for perpetrator friends and family to challenge or report risky behaviours. Also public awareness around how to use the 999 system and the implications of the silent solution should be part of an immediate campaign.

This panel recommends that it is important that offenders are consistently challenged about their behaviours, and that meticulous evidence gathering should accompany all potential prosecutions. Victims who are described as unreliable or are unwilling and frightened to support prosecutions, should still be supported. A clear policy on prosecution should be available.

Homesafe teams should be sufficiently trained to recognize the importance of their visits to victims of domestic abuse and stalking. These should be prioritized. They should recognize that lock changes should always be carried out where a perpetrator has lived in the premises, or has ever, at any time, had access to a key.

The panel recommends that all schools are aware that many children will be suffering domestic abuse in their homes and that there should be safe spaces for children to disclose, and pastoral care from informed practitioners

It is recommended that the Metropolitan Police consider updating their Silent Solution given that most phones are now touchscreen. There may be difficulties in attempting to find the number five on a touch screen phone, and the automatic lighting up of the screen if touched. These things make it very difficult in some circumstances to make a call in secret.