Domestic Abuse Policies - 1714/21

Provision of information held by Northumbria Police made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the 'Act')

As you may be aware the purpose of the Act is to allow a general right of access to information held at the time of a request, by a Public Authority (including the Police), subject to certain limitations and exemptions.

You asked:

I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to please request information regarding your domestic abuse policies.  Could you please provide:

 

1. The policies currently taught to PCs and officers around domestic abuse, including Domestic Abuse Stalking Harassment (DASH) risk assessment and the Risk Management model (RARA) as well as how level of risk is categorised.
2. The total number of Domestic Violence Protection Notices and Domestic Violence Protection Orders for each financial year from March 2016 to March 2021.
3. The total number of yearly domestic abuse related incidents and crimes reported from March 2016 to March 2021.
4. Any new policy updates in response to the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 such as online working, virtual interventions that are helping tackle domestic abuse.

 

When we sought clarification you provided the following:

 

Information on both would be brilliant if possible please. However, if that would exceed the time limit, then data for the ones applied for would be great thank you.

In Response:

Following receipt of your request, searches were conducted with the Corporate Development and Safeguarding Departments of Northumbria Police.  I can confirm that the information you have requested is held by Northumbria Police.

 

I am able to disclose the located information to you as follows.

 

To note – we are taking point 2 to be from financial year 2016/17 and that point 3 relates to the same time periods as point 2.

 

1.  As attached.

2. 

Year	DVPNs (granted)	DVPOs (applied for)	DVPOs (granted)
2016/17	240	221	198
2017/18	406	385	343
2018/19	404	384	313
2019/20	260	249	220
2020/21	303	288	226

 

3. 

Year	DV Incidents	DV Crimes
2016/17	31046	11361
2017/18	33472	22748
2018/19	36276	26760
2019/20	37456	24937
2020/21	38979	25680

 

4.  Our domestic abuse procedure will be updated as the various stages of the legislation are enacted.  To date the investigation of domestic abuse procedure has been updated to include:

• Statutory definition of domestic abuse.
• Update in relation to special measures. Victims will now be automatically eligible for special measures.
• Additionally, officers have been updated with the new legislation in relation to offences relating to the disclosure of private sexual photographs or film (revenge porn).

 

We will continued to update our procedures and educate our officers as and when further elements of the Act come into force.