Embracing the Publication of VAWG Assessments: The Reality and Aspiration Gap

The recent publication of the National Policing Statement 2024 for Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) is a significant milestone. This document highlights the critical need for enhanced responses and improvements in policing VAWG. While seeing this level of attention is encouraging, it's also essential to acknowledge the long-standing challenges and the urgent need for change within our system.

Having spent years investigating violence against women and girls (VAWG) within the Metropolitan Police Service*, I’ve seen firsthand the disparities and struggles that victims face. Domestic abuse has historically been treated as a poor relation within policing, often seen as something to be tolerated rather than vigorously pursued. So much so that I'm pretty sure I can still identify which police cars on blues-and-twos in my London neighbourhood are heading to a domestic abuse call and those that are not. (for the uninitiated, the former will look less urgent in their driving style - tell me it's not true, former colleagues!).

Far too often, low standards have been widely accepted in VAWG responses in policing – standards that would be more likely be to addressed in other crime types.

Personal Reflections on Policing VAWG

1. Undervalued Efforts: Domestic abuse and VAWG were frequently considered secondary, with a pervasive belief that these cases didn’t constitute ‘real’ policing. This mindset needs to shift dramatically to provide victims with the necessary support and justice and to effectively police perpetrators.
2. Low Standards and Supervision: One of the most challenging aspects was the constant battle to ensure supervisors managed their teams effectively and to the minimum standard, at least of delivery. The widespread acceptance of low standards has been detrimental, and it’s crucial that policing no longer tolerates this complacency.
3. A Lack of Urgency: I vividly remember the release of HMIC's 'Everyone's Business' report in 2014. Despite its eviscerating critique of police failures (Ten. Whole. Years. Ago), the response from some senior officers was alarmingly nonchalant. This lack of urgency underscores the systemic issues we face. One conversation I had with a former senior fast-track colleague at the time sticks in my mind. "We came off pretty well, I thought", he said. On what planet, I thought. This mindset is not uncommon.
4. Basic Misunderstandings: Within the past two years as a consultant, a member of police staff quite earnestly asked me what the offence was called 'when a husband rapes his wife'. The answer, of course, is rape. Such a basic lack of knowledge highlights the need for comprehensive education and training and just how far there is to travel.
5. Misguided Decision-Making: Even this year, I encountered a Detective Inspector who declined to pass a domestic stalking case to the CPS for a charging decision because he felt he hadn't proved 'beyond all reasonable doubt' the suspect's guilt. This basic (and extraordinary) confusion between investigation and judicial roles is a stark reminder of the gaps in training and understanding.

A Call for Change

While the National Policing Statement is a step in the right direction, it’s vital to recognise the depth of the issues within policing. For many victims, VAWG feels effectively decriminalised in practice. We need a far more urgent and focused approach to improve standards and capabilities at the frontline.

There is a danger that policing will cry wolf, claiming that VAWG is too big or too hard to police and end up using the strategic assessment as a simple call for more funding. Instead, the clarion call should be for a laser-like focus on no longer tolerating low standards and ensuring that every officer understands their role in protecting victims and bringing perpetrators to justice.

Moving Forward

We must welcome these assessments and use them as a foundation for meaningful change. Policing VAWG requires a commitment to higher standards, better training, and an unwavering focus on pursuing perpetrators and embedding victim-centred approaches. It's not just about more resources but about using existing resources more effectively and with greater accountability.

I hope policing puts genuine weight, energy, and conviction behind VAWG policing as it has done within counterterrorism. To do so, I'd urge those at the NPCC level to truly recognise and act on the reality of where policing culture, standards, and performance truly are when it comes to policing violence against women and girls. In my opinion, this year's assessment shows insufficient organisational reflection and awareness, which lets victims down in a post-Casey world.

I'm optimistic about Labour's mission to halve VAWG and pass new powers to the HMICFRS so key recommendations are implemented in practice. Indeed, if 20% of the weight of national policing budgets were put behind tackling VAWG (proportionate to the size of the problem by volume, some ￡5 billion last year), I wonder what could be achieved.

*While my experience focuses on London and the Met, I don't speak from direct experience of other areas. However, the data and the reports suggest a similar picture can be found elsewhere.

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