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SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS
Having previously conducted a thematic inspection focusing upon the police response to domestic violence over a decade ago (Scottish Office, 1997), Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary for Scotland ( HMICS) has now revisited the issue. In particular we have assessed the progress that has been made over the last decade. In turn, this inspection has focused upon:
- the strategic policing approach to domestic abuse;
- the domestic abuse initiatives with which the police service in Scotland is involved;
- the use of information and communications technology ( ICT);
- the role of the domestic abuse officer ( DAO) *; and
- the recording of domestic abuse incidents.
In this report we make the following recommendations:
Recommendation 1: That the requirement for a national database of perpetrators and victims be urgently addressed by all forces.
Recommendation 2: That the domestic abuse officer role is reviewed in line with the identified good practice in this report.
Recommendation 3: That all forces work together (with the Scottish Police Services Authority ( SPSA) where appropriate), to develop a common approach to training and support for officers.
Recommendation 4: That all forces adopt a model of victim risk assessment and risk management as soon as possible, whilst working towards implementing a single core model across Scotland, and that forces focus on ensuring the quality of the information gathered.
Recommendation 5: That forces review and reinforce their quality assurance practices and processes for recording domestic abuse incidents.
While the above recommendations are directed at all forces, we believe that it would be appropriate for the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland ( ACPOS) to take the lead in all these matters, through its crime business area.
Introduction
The reality of domestic abuse
1. Every year, over 150 people (typically 80% of whom are women) are killed in Britain by a current or former partner. Statistically, one in four women and one in six men will experience domestic violence during their lifetime 1. The police in Scotland recorded 48,801 incidents of domestic abuse in 2006-07, a seven per cent increase on the previous year. This continues the steady increase in incidents reported since 1999-2000, the first year for which data is available. Again in 2006-07, 57 per cent of cases involved known repeat victimisation 2.
2. Domestic abuse accounts for 15 per cent of all violent crime recorded nationally, and amounts to 31 per cent of all violence against women and five per cent of all violence against men 3. Yet, the 2006 Scottish Crime and Victimisation Survey 4 found that only one in five victims of physical harm inflicted by a partner had reported the incident to the police. For homicides recorded in Scotland in the last ten years, over half (53 per cent) of the female victims aged between 16 and 69 were killed by their partner. Furthermore, the most common set of circumstances in which females become victims of homicide are in a dwelling, in a rage/fight with a partner 2.
3. The effects of domestic abuse are far-reaching in terms of the victim's physical and mental well-being, the impact on children of victims, the links to child abuse and other violent crime and the costs to society as a whole both in terms of social cohesion and demand on services. The quality of police intervention is critical to preventing further violence and abuse.
Previous inspection
4. In 1997, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary for Scotland carried out a thematic inspection of all eight Scottish forces to examine the way in which they responded to victims, enforced the law, and acted to deter and prevent repeat victimisation in cases of domestic abuse. The resulting report, Hitting Home - a report on the police response to domestic violence 5 made 13 recommendations. Since 1997, police forces in Scotland have made progress in implementing these recommendations, evolving good practice and ensuring that domestic abuse remains a priority.
5. The purpose of this thematic inspection was to identify areas of good practice and, where appropriate, make recommendations to the Service on how procedures might be improved, given that over ten years had elapsed. On this occasion we focused on specific aspects of the police response to domestic abuse, taking into account the aims of the joint protocol between ACPOS and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service ( COPFS) 6, and paying particular attention to how forces identified and handled incidents of repeat victimisation.
6. In conducting the fieldwork for this thematic inspection, we found much evidence of good practice already in place in forces. Details of this good practice are found at Annex A. Forces and police authorities/boards may find it useful to consider the good practice comments alongside our recommendations. This report does not cover every aspect of the police handling of domestic abuse incidents, focusing instead on those issues that we consider will make the greatest difference, at this time, in support of victims of domestic abuse.
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