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Surrey Police has been judged as a regional winner in the first National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and College of Policing’s recognition event for police officers, staff and volunteers who are working to tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG).
The Force was recognised for its efforts in the ‘Making spaces safer’ category following police activity in West Surrey last year.
The recognition event was developed and judged jointly by representatives from police forces and charities including SafeLives, Suzy Lamplugh Trust and Karma Nirvana, alongside the Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales, Nicole Jacobs, and police staff associations.
All winning entries had to demonstrate how they built trust and confidence, that their approach was victim-centred, and they had to show impact, including how they were pursuing perpetrators. Judges were impressed with the effectiveness of many of the entries, giving particular praise to those officers, staff and volunteers who listened to victims and survivors, and then shaped their activity accordingly.
Surrey Police’s regional win followed a long-term community-led problem-solving approach and a two-week operation which targeted violence against women and girls in Guildford in June 2022.
Some of the initiatives of the launch included:
In addition, over 450 people signed the White Ribbon Pledge at police engagement stands in Guildford town centre, where they were also given training on how to safely intervene and report VAWG.
The intensification period also saw an increase in arrests for domestic abuse offences.
Chief Superintendent Tom Budd said: “This initiative has been a success because the public, partners and police worked together effectively to tackle male violence against women and girls.
“The initiative was a culmination of a community problem solving plan where the information provided by women and girls gathered from a ‘Call It Out’ survey was overlaid against crime data, partner intelligence and behavioural theory to identify and prioritise operational activity. The intensification period saw huge public engagement with police and this provided a tangible sense that the community was taking a stand against male violence towards women and girls.
“I am very proud of all the work our officers, staff and partners put into driving this focussed activity to keep our communities safe, which would not have been possible without the vital feedback provided by women and girls in the Call it Out survey. I am enormously grateful that they took the time to tell us about their experiences.
“We will now continue to build on the success of this initiative and our resolution to make our communities a safe place for all women and girls.”
DCC Maggie Blyth, National Police Chiefs’ Council violence against women and girls’ coordinator, said: “Thank you to everyone who works in policing and whose focus is on making society safer for women and girls.
“Having regional and national judging panels made up of experts from inside and outside policing have really helped us to focus on winners who have demonstrated both an understanding of what victims want and expect, but also on activity that is sustainable. It’s only by modelling this excellent work that we can hope to achieve consistency for women and girls across our police forces. Entries also showed how we are pursuing perpetrators and showing them that there is nowhere to hide. We all want policing to achieve more and although we still have much to do, I am heartened by the quality of work that is underway.”
Nicole Jacobs, Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales, said: “I was honoured to participate in the judging panel for the violence against women and girls’ recognition event as it is important to shine a spotlight on those who have gone above and beyond to help children and young people affected by VAWG. It is great to see that there were so many remarkable people who have shown great dedication to their work, and this is something that we should strive to achieve across all police forces. A huge congratulations to all!”