A digital tool to support police forces’ response to domestic abuse has been given approval for national roll out.
The National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC), said the rapid video response (RVR) has gone through a successful pilot in Kent and that its further implementation will be supported by the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Taskforce.
In addition, its creator, Stacey Rothwell – network director for easter region innovation – has won the Innovation Award at the Government Science and Engineering Awards for the project.
NPCC said the tool can provide victims of domestic violence with a video based response from a police officer in as little as three minutes.
In the pilot area it has led to an increase in arrests, cut down on investigation time, increased victim satisfaction and reduced anxiety.
Leading the solution
Professor Paul Taylor, chief scientific adviser at the NPCC, said: “The idea of RVR may seem obvious, yet Stacey deserves credit for her breakthrough because she recognised the problem and stepped up to lead a solution.
“She undertook two randomised control trials in Kent Police, with support of the chief officers, to show the value of RVR and the absence of negative consequences and then developed a blueprint to across the Eastern region initially.
“RVR has helped tens of thousands of women and girls suffering from domestic violence. With overseas forces expressing interest, this innovation is on course to be an international success.”
He added that the technology can reduce the response time to a call from around 33 hours to just three minutes.
“This massively increases trust and confidence in policing, and for victims, it reduces anxiety. RVR improves evidence collection, reduces the length of primary investigations by around 40% and has increased arrests by around 50%,” he said. “It also has the potential to save forces money in transportation and other costs.”
PDS success
A team from the Police Digital Service (PDS) has also won an award for its work in the VAWG area. It has expanded the accessibility of its technology service by offering it 43 languages.
PDS said that since its inception the service has been embedded in 37 police forces and supported over 29,500 individuals, with 4,108 victims and survivors using the service in the last year alone.
The award was presented at this year’s VAWG and Op Soteria recognition event in September.
