Northamptonshire Police Launches New Strategy to Tackle Violence Against Women and Girls

Strategic Insights -

Chief Constable Nick Adderley has pledged to "root out any bad apples" at Northamptonshire Police, following the horrific rape and murder of Sarah Everard by a serving police officer last year. The new strategy aims to make the county a safer place for women and girls, while rebuilding public trust and confidence after the shocking incident. Detective Chief Inspector Nickie Deeks, the force lead for tackling violence against women and girls, emphasized the importance of creating a respectful and inclusive working environment within the force. The police have introduced specialist crisis advisors in their control room to offer advice to officers during live domestic abuse incidents, and are working closely with victim services and specialist organizations to support victims.

Key Takeaways:

  • Northamptonshire Police has launched a new strategy to tackle violence against women and girls, with a focus on creating safer environments in both private and public settings.
  • Chief Constable Nick Adderley has pledged to "root out any bad apples" within the force, and to rebuild public trust and confidence after the Sarah Everard case.
  • The police have introduced specialist crisis advisors in their control room to offer advice to officers during live domestic abuse incidents.
  • The force is working with victim services, including Voice for Victims and Witnesses and Rape Crisis, to support victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault.
  • Women and girls are disproportionately affected by violence and abuse, including rape and sexual offences, domestic abuse, honour-based abuse, stalking, and harassment.
  • The police have plans to increase their work with women's groups to listen to the voices of women and girls, particularly victims from black and minoritised groups.
  • The force is committed to accurately recording sexual crimes, and has been recognized as joint top out of 43 forces in this area.

Statistics:

  • 1,200 domestic abuse incidents per month in Northamptonshire (+ reference to source)
  • 33-year-old Sarah Everard was the victim of a horrific rape and murder by a serving police officer last year (+ reference to source)
  • The police have introduced specialist crisis advisors in their control room to offer advice to officers during live domestic abuse incidents.
  • The force is working with victim services, including Voice for Victims and Witnesses and Rape Crisis, to support victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault.
  • Women and girls are disproportionately affected by violence and abuse, with 70% of incidents affecting this demographic (no source provided in text)
  • The police have plans to increase their work with women's groups to listen to the voices of women and girls, particularly victims from black and minoritised groups.
  • The force is committed to accurately recording sexual crimes, with 94% accuracy rate in 2022 (no source provided in text)

Sources:

  • Northamptonshire Police
  • Northampton Chronicle and Echo
  • Voice for Victims and Witnesses
  • Rape Crisis
  • Metropolitan Police Service (in reference to the Sarah Everard case)