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ACPO Definition of Domestic Violence

Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling,coercive or threatening behaviour, violence orabuse between those aged 16 or over who are orhave been intimate partners or family membersregardless of gender or sexuality. This canencompass, but is not limited to, the followingtypes of abuse:• psychological• physical• sexual• financial• emotional“Controlling behaviour is: a range of actsdesigned to make a person subordinate and/ordependent by isolating them from sources of support, exploiting their resources and capacitiesfor personal gain, depriving them of the meansneeded for independence, resistance and escapeand regulating their everyday behaviour.“Coercive behaviour is: an act or a pattern of actsof assault, threats, humiliation and intimidationor other abuse that is used to harm, punish, orfrighten their victim.” ** This definition, which is not a legal definition,

includes so called ‘honour’ based violence, female

genital mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage,

and is clear that victims are not confined to one

gender or ethnic group.

Five Building Blocks to an Investigation

Preserve life• Obtain medical treatment for victim.• Serious/life threatening remain with IP until advised by DI.• Consider power of entry under section 17 pace.• Consider safeguarding of victim, children (seen and checked), witnesses and

suspects.

Preserve the scene• Identify and preserve scenes, scene log, cordons (sight and sound).• Routes into and out of scene to be identified.• Forensic investigation considerations.• Avoid cross contamination.• Body cam evidence.

Secure evidence• Forensic opportunities re clothing and swabs of victim, suspect and any

witnesses. EEK.• 999 tapes. CCTV and H2H.• Witnesses - identify and obtain either written statement or VRI: GENIE PNC/

PND all witnesses.• Recovery of property- continuality.• Consider ANPR/BOFF. Telecoms.• Body worn video/photographs, injuries and scene.• Social Media sites: Facebook pages captured screen print.• Forensically recover any weapons.• Obtain permission to access victim's medical records.• Record 1st disclosures and descriptions.• Phones seized.• Text messages captured in statement.

Identify victims• Identify victim(s).• Full statement/VRI.• Offer victim DV support services.• Sensitively preserve evidence.

Identify suspects• Arrest if necessary - take positive action.• Forensic opportunities in custody i.e. swabs, body maps, clothing.• Full GENIE Intel checks.• Complete Firearm checks - if have a licensed firearm remove certificate

and firearms and inform Firearms licensing.• VISOR (MAPPA/PPMT) checks. CATS checks.• Consider PACE powers in custody.• Address checks.• Area search/escape routes.• Bad character evidence.

National Decision Making Model

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Victim’s home safety options• History on address and locations where the victim/children lives or attends

regularly.• Check to see if a firearms risk assessment is needed.• Crime reduction officer consulted (CRO) - high risk only: officers should provide

security advice and document on working sheet what has been offered. • Security alarm system already in place and activation code changed.• Victim has a mobile phone that is topped up and in use.• Hand held alarm obtained should they leave the home address (screamer).• Keys left in locks to prevent suspect using their keys.• Friends and family and neighbours are aware and advised to call the police

if suspicious something may be happening.• Arson task force referral completed. • Escape plans are in place.• Referrals made to housing associations and council for the target hardening

to be addressed.• Spy hole used or put in place, use before leaving/opening door.

Victim’s menu of options • Referrals have been made to support services. Refuge explained/obtained.• Change routes normally taken and/or work hours. Tell your employer.• Code words set up should the victim need help with family, friends, schools

and work.• Special measures explained and applied for. • Avoid places that the suspect will frequent.• Money, passports and clothing at a separate and safe location. • Phone/Bank/Utilities billing addresses changed. • Passwords changed for bank accounts, phones, facebook, and any other

account that suspect has access to.• New phone/sim card obtained, change phone number, block calls.• Civil injunctions such as non molestation order, occupational orders explained.• Harassment orders explained and explored with the victim. Added to file

when suspect charged. • GPS location turned off mobile phones and other media devices.• GP/Vulnerability/MARAC referrals.

Children’s menu of options • Child at risk form completed. CATS checked. • Children’s schools and nursery are aware of the situation to allow them to

safeguard the children.• Child contact is stopped, changed, or in court to avoid conflict, including a

3rd party to assist in handover.• Usage of section 46 powers to remove child from harm.• CAF referral.

Safety Planning/Target Hardening

Suspect Management Menu of Options

• Arrest the suspect, interview and seek CPSdisposal decision.

• If unable to locate, hot handovers, consider PNC.• Voluntary interview where necessity test is not

met.• Mental health assessment in custody.• Bail conditions court/police. • Restraining orders already in place such as

harassment , non molestation orders.• Remand the suspect after charge.• Consider both police and requesting strong court

bail conditions.• On licence: inform probation.• IOM nominal: update Intelligence log.• Bail/curfew checks.• ASB orders in place.• ANPR updated of suspect’s vehicle.• MAPPA managed.• MAPPOM managed.• PPO managed.• IOM managed.

Referral options suspect

• Self referral to Jenkins centre. (City Only)• GP referrals.• Paget house referral.• Self referrals for mental health.

Domestic Abuse Helplines

Leicester City• Safe 0300 123 0918Leicestershire• Woman’s Aid Leicester 0300 303 1844Rutland• LWA 0300 365 0112

Other national numbers for victims

• National DV helpline number 0800 2000 247• Adams Project 0300 303 1844

(male and female victims)• Forced marriage unit (FMU)

UK 020 7008 0151Overseas 0044 20 7008 0151

• Broken Rainbow (LGBT) 0845 2604 460• Respect - respect.uk.net 0845 122 5609• Alcohol problem and

advisory service (APAS) 0832 762 6316• Drugs - FRANK talktofrank.com 0800 7766 00• National Stalking 0808 8020 300• Digital/cyber stalking guidance

www.digital-stalking.com

Useful agencies

• Children and young person servicesCity (CYPS) Grey Friars 0116 2527004County 0116 3050005Rutland 01572 758407

DASH

DASH is a risk assessment tool for Domestic incidents. A DASH risk assessmentmust be completed with the victim at the time of the incident. For Domesticincidents officers should complete a DASH risk assessment for both parties,using a working sheet to record their finding for one party and the CIS DASHfor the person the officer believes is most at risk.

If the victim answers “yes” to any of the questions the officer must ask andrecord more information to correctly assess the risk posed to the victim.

There are 3 levels of risk

• High Risk: identifiable factors of risk of serious harm, potential event could happen at any time and the impact would be serious. (Serious harm is a risk where life threatening and/or traumatic and from which recovery can be expected to be difficult or impossible)

• Medium Risk: identifiable factors of risk of serious harm, offender has potential to cause serious harm but is unlikely to unless there is a change of circumstances (for example medical/housing).

• Standard Risk: current evidence does not indicate likelihood of causing serious harm.

CIS DASH will provide a guide for officers based upon the number of risk factorsthat are identified. DAIO will review high risk and some medium risk cases andassess the risk based upon their enhanced training. It is possible that riskassessments are amended by the DAIO team as a result of this review.

DASH stalking risk assessment must be completed whenever harassment orstalking is identified.

I.e. Weapons used.

The suspect has used a baseball bat to assault the victim around her waist.

Previously used a knife and placed it against victim’s neck.

The Risk assessment will be based on the victim’s answers and the officer’sperception of risk which has been concluded with all the available history, theincident and what the victim is or is not telling the officer. The last box at theend of the risk assessment is to be used to place this information into. The riskassessment may change with time and should be reassessed as circumstanceschange.

In high risk cases or where the officer believes any victims or children are atrisk then a supervisor should be contacted ASAP to discuss any immediateactions needed to safeguard the victims and children (see safeguarding menuof options and suspect management).

Repeat Victims

Considerable work has been completed to identifyDomestic repeat victims. It is imperative that anyofficer who attends/investigates a domesticcrime/incident does not deal with the incident inisolation and reviews the history of domesticreporting from the persons involved. Officersshould be mindful of identifying factors thatcontribute to the incidents, for example alcohol,and ensure that all referrals are completed for allincidents at the time. All referrals completedshould be documented on the working sheets.

A process has been developed to identify repeatvictims and to flag these to the local SNT forfurther management and support to reduce theimpact on victims of Domestic violence. It iseverybody’s responsibility to consider the widerpicture in relation to reports of domestic incidentsand or crimes. At the point of filing any crime thesupervisor must document that they haveconsidered that the investigation is complete andconsidered if there is any further work requiredby officers or partners to safeguard the victim.

Officers’ Considerations

Officers’ considerations when recording actions at a DVincident/crime.

Record details on crime report using DV working sheet and recordyour decisions including action not taken and why. Officers shouldfollow the National Decision Making Model when documentingtheir decisions.

A suspect page must be added.

Add DV codes to MO actions.

Y D= Domestic incidentY E = Repeat victim of DV in the last 12 monthsY H= Honour based violence crimeY F = Forced marriage case

Add DV risk codes to MO action.

1 and 5 = standard risk 1 and 4 = medium risk 1 and 3 = high risk

If a repeat victim, the YD codes also need to be added to the MOactions.

Link previous DV reports between the couple.

Genie checks - completed AND documented on the DV workingsheet. DO NOT CUT AND PASTE onto the working sheet as thiswill be disclosed where there is a positive disposal.

DASH and S dash is completed correctly - any yes answers requireexplanations in the box. They should not be empty and explainwhy the answer is yes.

Ensure that your actions and decisions are fully documented on aworking sheet.

Forced Marriage

A forced marriage is a marriage in which one or both spousesDO NOT consent to the marriage and duress is involved.

The Government are drawing up legislation on forcedmarriage, but at the moment there is no offence of forcedmarriage. It is however likely that an offence will be createdduring 2013. Officers should be mindful of other offencesthat may have been committed against the victim and shouldalways consider the safety of the victim as experience tellsus that victims can be murdered or removed from the county very quickly.

An arranged marriage, the parties agree to the marriage.

You may be the first officer that a victim reports concerns to,you should seek early advice from the DAIU. Incidents andcrimes should be cloaked and ensure that the DAIU areinformed at the earliest opportunity.

Additional investigative considerations

• Closed ranks within family/community.• Refusing to assist in police investigations. • Religious leaders/heads of community becoming involved

to resolve within the community.• Do not use family members to interpret for a victim, use

language line.• Concealment of crime/evidence by other family members

and the community.• Reluctance for witnesses to come forward in fear of reprisals.• Unrest in the community with police asking questions.• Victim refused to protect self or allow contact.• Possible victimless cases reluctant to criminalise family.• Do not openly discuss cases or disclose.

Honour Based Violence/Forced Marriage

Additional safety for victims of HonourBased Violence/Forced Marriage

The SAFETY of the VICTIM and any otherassociate is always our number one priority.

Fingerprints, photograph and DNA.Specialist refuge.History on locations.Police alarm.Code words.No Contact with friends and family if left theaddress.Obtain passport details. Do they have dualnationality?Record what you have done.Agree means for future discreet contact.Seek advice of FMU, or other support agencies.Recognise and record the victim’s wishes.Speak to them in private. Do not use familymembers as interpreters.Forced marriage protection orders/civil orders.Escape plans.Reassure them about confidentiality.Family Tree: Anybody at risk within the family.Who else presents a risk to the victim?