(Truro and Falmouth)
(Con):...In June 2022, Devon and Cornwall
Police published its violence against women and
girls delivery plan, which has been developed in consultation
with stakeholders. It is focused on building trust and
confidence, relentless perpetrator pursuit and creating safer
spaces in public, online and at home. Operation Soteria
Bluestone, an approach pioneered by Avon and Somerset police, our
neighbouring force, is now being rolled out in our force area. It
aims to bring together criminal justice agencies and academics in
order to deliver a more victim-focused and responsive approach,
based on six key pillars of action...
Ahead of the introduction of Soteria Bluestone, Devon and Cornwall
Police launched Operation Gemstone in Plymouth. The
six-month pilot is based on the findings of Soteria Bluestone,
and provides four specialist investigative teams focused on rape
and serious sexual offences in the city. Specialist teams have
received bespoke additional training, benefited from improved
supervision, and had enhanced engagement with the Crown
Prosecution Service and partners, including independent sexual
violence advocates, to address domestic abuse perpetrators’
behaviours.
Devon and Cornwall secured £417,000 in funding from the Home
Office for 2022-23 to support projects across the peninsula.
These projects involve working with people who cause harm to
address their offending behaviours and prevent future
victimisation. The funding also enables community safety
partnerships to deliver behaviour change programmes, which ensure
that those who cause harm can access vital support for mental
health issues, drug and alcohol addiction and so on. Often
financial stress is a factor as well.
Our area has also recruited a new domestic abuse behaviour change
strategic lead to deliver an 18-month project developing a new
partnership strategy. That brings together partners to
collaborate on improving the peninsula-wide approach to working
with people who cause harm by domestic abuse, and to prevent
sexual offending. We commission two services that work with
sexual offence perpetrators.
The South West Community Chaplaincy also works with sex offenders
who no longer pose a harm according to the probation service. The
chaplaincy provides a mentoring service that helps practically as
well as with the behavioural challenges of individuals, who are
referred directly by Devon and Cornwall
Police
As part of their implementation of the violence against women and
girls strategy, Devon and Cornwall
Police have launched their part of the national
communications campaign, Enough. The second wave of the campaign
started in October 2022. It focuses on a range of safe ways for a
bystander to intervene if they witness violence against women and
girls, helps to tackle barriers to intervening, and ensures
prompt action. Also, across England and Wales, £55 million has
been allocated to communities through the safer streets fund.
Projects—some in Truro and Falmouth—include the education of
night-time economy workers, extra closed-circuit television, and
street lighting. All that helps us to change societal behaviours,
so that no one thinks that violence is acceptable, people are
given the confidence to go out at night, and victims have greater
confidence to come forward...
For context, OPEN HERE
