Source · IOPC Learning Case

Police response to a domestic incident - Essex Police, September 2020

Essex Police Ref: 2019/127918 Recommended 29 Sep 2020 Response due 24 Nov 2020

Domestic abuse Welfare and vulnerable people

Essex Police received a series of abandoned 999 from a woman who was noted as a high-risk victim of domestic abuse. The call handler identified the likely location and officers were dispatched to the caller’s partner’s address in Westcliff-on-Sea. Following their arrival at the address, the attending officers separated the caller and her partner and asked them questions to establish what had happened. The caller did not make any allegations against her partner and declined the officers’ offers to take …

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Recommendations

2 total

Recommendation 1

The IOPC recommends that Essex Police should review the quality and effectiveness of its initial and refresher domestic abuse training for frontline officers with specific reference to: In this case, the attending officers requested no Police National Computer or other checks on the parties involved. Such checks which would have highlighted that the perpetrator was subject to a Domestic Violence Protection Order which prohibited contact with the victim. Positive action in the form of an arrest was not made, and although some attempt was made to ask risk assessment questions and offer safeguarding advice, a full risk assessment was not completed and safeguarding action was insufficient. These issues suggest a need for further training including the need for robust investigation, undertaking risk assessments, safeguarding and the need for attending officers to take positive action in cases of domestic abuse. Although this recommendation relates specifically to this investigation, it is noted that Essex Police have referred a number of domestic abuse cases to the IOPC. Our investigations have highlighted a number of issues in common with those arising from this case, which may be indicative of a general training need rather than an isolated instance of unsatisfactory performance. Do you accept the recommendation? Yes

Addressed to: Essex Police

Linked bodies: Essex Police

Accepted

Force response

Accepted action: We accept the recommendation in full. This recommendation has been presented to the Force’s ‘Learning the Lessons’ board chaired by the Deputy Chief Constable. In order to ensure oversight, this entire recommendation has been formally allocated to the Domestic Abuse Strategic Oversight board which is chaired by the Assistant Chief Constable (Force lead for DA). The recommendation will be added to a tracker and progress tracked. The intention will be for Essex Police’s DA training to be reviewed to establish how it can be revised to ensure aspects a-c (as per the recommendation) are included to a level which gives them the importance with which they deserve. Any revised training will then be implemented. The intention of Essex Police will be to report progress back to the IOPC in 4-6mths.

Recommendation 2

The IOPC recommends that Essex Police consider formalising its process for dealing with abandoned 999 calls, with any new or amended policy or procedure dealing with abandoned 999 calls to include: a) clear direction about who has responsibility for updating incident headers where an incident is initially categorised as an abandoned 999 call and further information regarding the nature of the call later becomes availableb) instructions about the intelligence and background checks which should completed and who should complete them, particularly when a call is suspected to relate to a domestic abuse or another strand of vulnerabilityc) specific guidance about how to respond to calls which are suspected to relate to domestic abuse, to ensure that potential victims are not put at further risk including a review of the informal process to call abandoned callers back three times, as this may heighten the risk to victims of domestic abuse. During the investigation the IOPC found there was no formal policy or procedure setting out the process for dealing with abandoned calls within the force control room including the checks that should be undertaken, other teams that should be involved when domestic abuse is suspected and roles and responsibilities of the force control room.

Addressed to: Essex Police

Linked bodies: Essex Police

Accepted

Force response

Recommendation accepted: This recommendation is accepted in full. Essex Police will now review whether this guidance can be incorporated into an existing policy (which will then require amendment) or if a new policy will need to be devised. Once this is complete, there will be awareness raised of the policy change – particularly within the Force Control Room. It is our intention to update you with the new/amended policy within 3 months.