1. Murder Prevention in Domestic Violence DS SHARON STRATTON

2. Definition Domestic Violence
Any incident of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional) between adults, aged 18 and over, who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender and sexuality. (Family members are defined as mother, father, son, daughter, brother, sister and grandparents, whether directly related, in-laws or step-family)  (Association of Chief Police Officers,2004)
Need to be mindful of ‘honour’ based violence where victims often under 18
Does not include victims/suspects under 18. Record non-crime/crime but staff directed to include under 18s,FM,HBV
intervention to prevent escalation. all cases within definition tagged dv.
(fm or hbv additional flags).Definition wide includes same sex, female on
Male and interfamilial violence.

3. Prevalence 113,000+ incidents reported 2008/2009
20% of all violent crime in MPS
Homicide rates:
42 – 2003/4 /5
34 – 2005/6
19 – 2006/7 /8 /9
40% murder rate nationally
Links to other criminality (Child abuse, rape, gun crime, etc)
6 murders last year the majority are interfamilial where suspect
suffers from mental health issues. 5 where sons have murdered Father/stepfather - often linked to drug misuse.
2007:EQUAL NUMBER OF MALE VICTIMS MAJORITY OF WHOM WERE PREVIOUSLY ABUSIVE TO THEIR PARTNER OR FAMILY MEMBER(UNREPORTED)

4. MPS RESPONSE
Community Safety Units (CSUs) established 1998 as a result of recommendations in the Stephen Lawrence Enquiry(Macpherson)
Delivery of the Mayors DV strategy for London, Home Office National Action Plan and other National strategies
Violent Crime Directorate centrally Investigate Hate crime,domestic violence,forced marriage, adult/carer abuse and so-called honour based violence. Multi-agency approach (Independent Domestic Violence Advisers, health, housing, social services,etc) 85% workload domestic violence

5. Communicating our Strategy
Internally - ‘next time your ‘just a domestic’ is a murder’
Externally – Offender focused ‘your partners silence no longer protects you’ 5

6. We needed to challenge mindsets and attitudes we ran a series of internal poster in police buildings entitled next time your just a domestic could be a fatality this highlighted the true scale of serious crime which was domestic related and the important role front line staff play.

8. Prevention Standard operating procedures and positive action
Risk assessment model
Risk management panels (RAMPS/MARACS/MAPPA)
Homicide and serious case reviews
DV investigation Book 124D
Crown Prosecution Service engagement
Training
In-house DV support workers/referral protocols
DV policed under National Intelligence Model
Violent Crime Directorate(Public Protection Group)
MERLIN mandatory (information sharing on children)
VCD TP Crime ( formally RVCTF Diversity Directorate) Research and analysis to improve service delivery.Findings from 53 homicide and serious crime reviews fed down into policy and SOPs.
FINDINGS;
Lack of DNA records
Serial offenders
High re – victimisation
Only 2 MAPPPA referrals
12 perpetrators had just been released from prison or were on bail
homicide review - multi agency (i.e. mental health services, housing,
NGO's, probation, social services, police) review that looks at the contacts
agencies had with the victim and the suspect in the lead up to the murder.
to learn lessons from the case to improve services. interestingly the last
review I saw, mental health services refused to come into the table.
recommendations from the reviews implemented into policy and practice.
from earlier reviews of murders , serious violent + sexual offences high
risk factors indentified and SPECSS + model developed and implemented across
MPS.Must arrest where offence has been committed, Positive action through CJSs. SLA with
CPS, unsupported prosecutions using corroborative evidence.
124D aid memoir for officers at scenes re evidence gathering,risk
identification and management - ensure officers not just recording but
thinking have i done enough to prevent further incidents occurring.
All of above into day mandatory training and recruit training.
6 borough piloting RAMPS (risk ass. man. panels) generally held after MAPPP
meetings to manage the PDS/DP's not falling within the criteria for MAPPA
managers. some other boroughs have similar panels set up with borough DV
forum.
Central intelligence unit (MIB) trawls intell for high risk cases (using
keyword searches from SPECSS+ model) passed to my team review cases - provide
advice +support - subject to 'morning - prayers' MIB also identify dangerous
+ high risk perps who will be subject to tasking and possibly passed to proactive task force
for pro-active job.

9. Positive Action ‘..where an offence has been committed
officers must arrest the suspect where there are reasonable grounds to suspect their involvement in the alleged crime. Failure to so may result in neglect of duty. Officers must justify any decision not to arrest and clearly document that decision….’
‘It is the officers decision to arrest and is not reliant on the victim’s willingness to support a prosecution’

10. DV RISK MODEL DASH, 2009 Aims & Objectives of RA
To save life and reduce incidents of serious injury
To identify and manage risk effectively
To inform police decision making, including effective investigation and evidence gathering
To prevent and reduce repeat victimisation
This is about saving lives.
It is also about defensible decision making. Putting a plan together and there being a positive obligation to do something under Article 2: Right to Life.
Process has to be National Intelligence Model (NIM) compliant at the strategic and tactical level. The Risk Assessment is an intelligence document, turns into information for action. Be proactive and start to target offenders as we would do for any other type of crime.
NIM is about: intelligence, prevention and enforcement.
There are three levels of offending and NIM creates a framework for all police services to work to regarding intelligence
Level 1: local level offending
Level 2: cross border
Level 3: international
Why do risk assessment?
Whether or not an incident becomes a homicide may be determined by the speed and / or quality of the emergency response rather than by the relationship, offender and victim characteristics.
Certain characteristics are more predictive of homicide than others.

11. DV RISK MODEL DASH, 2009 separation/child contact
pregnancy / new birth
escalation
community issues / isolation
stalking and harassment
sexual assault
children abused
weapon use and credible threats to kill
Osman v UK (1998) it was held that the police could be liable for breach of Article 2 (Right to Life, HRA, 1998) if they had not taken “reasonable” “preventive operational measures” to avoid a “real immediate” risk to life which they ought to have known about.

12. strangulation/choking suicidal/homicidal tendencies
jealous, controlling behaviour
pets abused
alcohol/substance misuse
mental health
history of violence/stalking
This is about saving lives.
It is also about defensible decision making. Putting a plan together and there being a positive obligation to do something under Article 2: Right to Life.
Process has to be National Intelligence Model (NIM) compliant at the strategic and tactical level. The Risk Assessment is an intelligence document, turns into information for action. Be proactive and start to target offenders as we would do for any other type of crime.
NIM is about: intelligence, prevention and enforcement.
There are three levels of offending and NIM creates a framework for all police services to work to regarding intelligence
Level 1: local level offending
Level 2: cross border
Level 3: international
Why do risk assessment?
Whether or not an incident becomes a homicide may be determined by the speed and / or quality of the emergency response rather than by the relationship, offender and victim characteristics.
Certain characteristics are more predictive of homicide than others.
Part 1: have to take into account all other risk factors that may be present.
Part 2 CSU will conduct in medium and high risk cases
RARA Remove,avoid,reduce,accept

13. RISK of SERIOUS HARM (HO 2002 and OASys 2006)
RISK LEVELS
STANDARD
No significant current indicators of risk of SERIOUS HARM.
MEDIUM
There are identifiable indicators of risk of SERIOUS HARM. Offender likely to cause SERIOUS HARM if change in circumstances i.e. failure to take medication, relationship breakdown, substance misuse, if bailed, after court appearance etc).
HIGH
There are identifiable indicators of risk of SERIOUS HARM. The potential event could happen at any time and the impact would be serious.
RISK of SERIOUS HARM (HO 2002 and OASys 2006)
‘a risk which is life threatening and/or traumatic, and from which recovery, whether physical or psych. can be expected to be difficult or impossible’

14. RISK MANAGEMENT 'RARA'
R – Remove (Arrest/remand, victim to safe housing I.e Refuge)
A – Avoid (Civil injunctions,mobile phone,bail conditions,)
R - Reduce (target hardening,mobile phone,referral to RAMP/MARAC)
A – Accept (continual reference to RA Model, intervention planning, support & consent of victim, offender target profiles to inform pro-activity ).
Published tactical menu of options
This is the responsibility of First Responders – and their managers
And then the Secondary Supervisor (Medium and High Risk cases)
RISK IDENTIFCATION, ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT PERMEATES ALL ASPECTS OF THE INVESTIGATION – irrespective of the DV victims willingness to support the investigation or not.

15. A MARAC aims to:
Share information to increase safety , health and well-being of victims – adults & children
To determine if the perpetrator poses significant risk to any particular individual or to the general community
To construct and implement a risk management plan
To reduce repeat victimisation
To improve agency accountability
Improve support for staff involved in high risk DV cases

16. Emerging findings Increased arrests
Better risk identification and intervention
Support and safety planning for victims
Improved standards of investigation
Charges/prosecutions increased
Compliance with positive action through CJS
Improved recording of intelligence
Effective sharing of information between agencies
Monitored and targeted perpetrators
Reduction in homicide,rape, serious violence and repeat victimisation

18. Key messages Training ! Training ! Training !
Supervision, accountability and compliance
Improved risk identification
Risk assessment not using DASH,2009 = flawed
assessments and inappropriate intervention
Clear guidance required and addressed through
standard operating procedures
Strong communication strategy
Effective partnerships
Criminal Justice System must be involved from outset

19. Final thoughts
The world is a dangerous place to live in not because of the people who do evil things,but because of the people who know about it but do nothing to stop it” (Canter,2003)

20. Contact Details
Metropolitan Police
DS Sharon Stratton
+44 (0)