Source · IOPC Learning Case

Recommendation - National Police Chiefs' Council, February 2023

Ref: 2021/158778 Recommended 13 Feb 2023 Response due 10 Apr 2023

This recommendation follows an IOPC review of a local investigation report where Hampshire police received a number of abandoned / silent 999 calls from a telephone number associated with a high-risk domestic violence warning marker. The force did not initially deploy to the call as a Grade 1 and the caller was located a number of hours later with serious injuries following a domestic violence assault. At the time of the incident, Hampshire police did not have any clear guidance …

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Recommendations

1 total

Recommendation 1

The IOPC recommends that the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) issue an advisory note to all forces in relation to the importance of ensuring their policies on silent/abandoned 999 calls - particularly when such are received from a telephone number, person, or address associated with a domestic abuse warning marker are up to date and fit for purpose. This recommendation follows an IOPC review of a local investigation DSI report where Hampshire police received two abandoned / silent 999 calls from a telephone number associated with a high-risk domestic abuse warning marker. The force did not initially deploy as the call wasn’t initially graded as Grade 1 and the caller was located a number of hours later with serious injuries following a domestic abuse assault. There is also currently a lack of suitable national instruction within the Authorised Professional Practice to advise call-handlers about how they should grade and respond to abandoned or silent 999 calls leaving individual forces responsible for the creation of their own guidance in this area. Issuing such an advisory note should serve to act as a reminder to forces of the need to review and possibly amend their policies to ensure they are both up-to-date and fit for purpose. Do you accept the recommendation? Yes

Addressed to: National Police Chiefs Council

Linked bodies: National Police Chiefs Council

Accepted

Force response

Accepted action: Circulation from NPCC lead to Contact Management leads in all Forces / Services: “You will all know that THRIVE forms an integral part of the decision making model in Contact Management Centres and its correct use informs appropriate policing responses. A case has been brought to my attention in which a number of ‘Silent 999’ calls were made to police from a high risk Domestic Abuse victim. The calls were not assessed as requiring an emergency response by police. When police did attend, the caller/victim had received serious injuries at the hands of the Domestic Abuse perpetrator. Can I therefore ask you to ensure that, as part of the THRIVE process, due regard is given to the possible risks signalled by ‘Silent 999’ calls from known Domestic Abuse victims in order that an appropriate response grading is given to such calls. In addition, can I ask that ‘flags’ or ‘alerts’ on such victims and/or their addresses are up-to-date and fit-for-purpose”.