[13 SEP 00]  WARWICKSHIRE CONSTABULARY NEWS
Plan To Clampdown on Domestic Violence

Repeat domestic violence offenders will be targeted in a campaign to combat violence in the home across North Warwickshire this weekend.

Officers from Nuneaton police and representatives from local agencies will be travelling to domestic violence incidents over the next four weekends.

Figures show that most crimes in the category are reported between 5pm and 3am and Fridays and Saturdays.

Officers will use an instant camera to record evidence at the scene. They want to see more arrests, and more offenders reaching courts as a result of the campaign.

The northern policing area of Warwickshire – Rugby, Nuneaton, Atherstone, Coleshill and Bedworth – had 1,700 reports of domestic violence last year. The campaign is focussed on the Nuneaton area where a police vehicle has been allocated to the domestic violence team.

Pc Nikki Harris pointed out five main aims of the initiative:

• To make use of police powers of arrest at incidents and increase the number of prosecutions for domestic violence
• Raise awareness of police procedures at incidents to members of the Domestic Violence Forum
• Work in partnership with members of the forum to offer advice and support to victims
• Reduce local problems of crime and disorder in partnership with local authorities and other local agencies
• Reduce re-victimisation

Pc Harris said:

“Domestic violence is not an incident, it is a process. Without seeing this first hand, it is difficult to see and understand some of the emotions that victims of domestic violence go through.

“It is widely documented that the victim of domestic violence stays in a violent relationship for an average of seven years and during that time receives 35 severe beatings.

“By the time the police are called, the violence is probably a well-established pattern of behaviour.

“Although by their nature, domestic incidents differ from other forms of violence in that the victim knows their attacker, we must not forget that this a violent crime – there is an offender, a victim and often public disorder to deal with too.

“Our aim with this initiative is to intervene, detect crime and prevent victims being assaulted again - and we hope this high-profile initiative will help in our ongoing commitment to talking domestic violence.”

There will be representatives from the groups that make up the Warwickshire Domestic Violence Forum. They will see first hand how officers deal with a report of domestic violence when they ride in the squad car.

The operation means other officers will be freed up for other duties.

The organisations taking part include: Coventry and Warwickshire Community Safety scheme, North Warwickshire Borough Council, Wilson Hawley and Co Solicitors, Warwickshire County Council social services, Warwickshire Domestic Violence Support and ASHRAM, the Asian Women’s Refuge.