DEVON and Cornwall Police has pledged its commitment to tackle violence against women and girls.  

The force has made the pledge following the publication of a national policing statement published by the College of Policing and the National Police Chief’s Council (NPPC). 

The statement published figures that show that more than one million violence against women and girls (VAWG) related crimes were recorded during 2022/23 – 20 per cent of all police recorded crime. The statement also published figures which show online and tech related VAWG has increased by 37 per cent from 2018/19 to 2022/23. 

In the statement, The College of Policing and NPCC have set out a number of national recommendations for policing including a whole-system partnership approach to reduce offending.  

A spokesperson from the force explained: “VAWG is not a single type of crime but a collection of offences, including domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and harassment. The Force is committed to its ongoing work to tackle the issue and together with partners remains focussed on pursuing offenders and ensuring victims are supported.” 

Devon and Cornwall Police have laid out some key activities which will be taking place across the Southwest. 

Among those activities, includes the roll out of the Domestic Abuse Matters (DA Matters) change programme, delivered by Safe Lives, to help improve the Force’s response to DA and the support of victims through the Criminal Justice system. 

As well as this, Op Soteria - which aims to improve the response of the police service to victims of rape and sexual offences and their experience of the criminal justice process. This has resulted in a greater number of cases going to court and better support for victims.

Following a six-month trial across Devon and Cornwall, the Walk and Talk initiative – where women can discuss in person with an officer about places where they do not feel safe – has now been implemented as business as usual. 

Assistant Chief Constable Jim Pearce said: “We remain firmly committed to keeping women and girls safe across Devon and Cornwall and I welcome today’s statement which clearly states this issue can be addressed by all agencies working together in a whole system approach. 

“VAWG is a priority area for us, and we will continue to work closely with our partners both statutory and non-statutory to protect and seek justice for victims. 

“As the statement published today shows, sadly a large number of offences committed against women and girls still go unreported. I would strongly encourage anyone who has been a victim to come forward and speak to us. I can assure all women and girls in our communities that we will thoroughly investigate and offer them as much help and support as we can.”