Agenda item

Report from the Deputy Mayor for Policing, Fire and Crime regarding delivery against the Joint Strategy to Address Violence Against Women and Girls and progress on the development of the Victims Centre.

Considered

The report of the Deputy Mayor for Policing, Fire and Crime updating on progress against the Joint Strategy to address Violence Against Women and Girls.

The Deputy Mayor underlined that tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) will remain a core priority in the Mayor’s new Police and Crime Plan, with planning ensuring a victim-centred focus.

The Panel commended the comprehensive report provided and put a number of questions and comments to the Deputy Mayor on the following points:-

·        There appears to be only a small number of perpetrators of stalking who completed a programme to try to address their behaviours as it relied on a voluntary commitment.  There was a concern at the lack of successful outcomes for such programmes and whether uptake can be increased.  The Deputy Mayor highlighted that she is not seeking an alternative to a justice process but would like to do more with the under-25s as there is more scope to change behaviour for that age group.  It was also highlighted to the Panel that there is an ambition to have mandated services available and seeing how funding can be provided on a longer term basis.

·        The report highlights that considerable investment is being made towards a ‘whole system approach’ to domestic abuse. Members asked whether there will be a whole system approach to sexual violence (and child sexual abuse within that), given that it accounts for 16% of all serious violence in North Yorkshire and is under-reported.  The Deputy Mayor highlighted the new Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) under development and how this is being developed with the intention that people will come forward through a range of routes such as the third sector.  The Deputy Mayor also acknowledged the need to tackle early on the impact of abuse-based trauma. 

·        The Deputy Mayor was asked what is being done to secure funding for third sector partners involved in delivery of the VAWG strategy whose funding falls away after 31^st March 2025.  The Deputy Mayor is acutely aware of the challenges for these partners and is voicing this along with colleagues nationally.

·        The report notes that the CPS has a lack of capacity around consulting with the police prior to making a No Further Action decision.  The Deputy Mayor was asked if this also means they will be unable to discharge other related matters such as pre-trial meetings.  The Deputy Mayor advised that the new Head of the CPS sits on the Criminal Justice Partnership Board, which will be the appropriate place for the Deputy Mayor to pick this up and review a joined-up approach.

·        In relation to the new SARC, the Deputy Mayor was asked about the strategy for ensuring that the forensic, technical and criminal investigation sides are all adequately joined up and effective.  The Deputy Mayor referenced that Operation Soteria covers the policing response and that training is underway but that she is reassured by the strategic approach to date and that the new SARC represents a step-change from the previous facility.  Panel members were encouraged to visit the new SARC once built.

·        The Deputy Mayor was asked about the 25 police officers under investigation for VAWG and how this compared to other areas.  The Deputy Mayor responded that work continues to ensure that police are held to the highest of standards.  In terms of broader context there are 10,000 domestic abuse victims in the area so proportionately the police officer statistics are low and the Deputy Mayor did not believe that the force area is an outlier with other areas in this respect.

·        Members discussed the evaluations of pilots for victim services and consider with the Deputy Mayor how best to share this information with council officers, including through the Mayoral Combined Authority.

·        The Panel raised a highly-publicised national case of domestic abuse which could only be classified as knife crime due to the young age of the victim.  It was clarified that recording of domestic abuse is at age 16 plus.

The Chair commented that due to the importance of the issues, the Panel will

continue to seek an annual progress report.

Resolved

That the Panel:

(a)   notes the report provided; and

(b)   receives a further progress update on delivery against the VAWG strategy in a year’s time.