DCC Blyth leads the VAWG taskforce, established in 2021 to deliver a step change in the police response to tackling violence against women and girls.  The VAWG framework for delivery focuses on restoring public confidence, relentlessly pursuing perpetrators and creating safer spaces.  This work is well underway and leading to tangible improvements that have been highlighted in the recent HMICFRS inspection on how policing tackles VAWG.

Alongisde the framework published in December, a digital strategic intent has been developed, linked to the three pillars of the VAWG framework:

  1. Create a single online reporting route for violence against women and girls, which enables victims to report and to access the support they need, when they need it.
     
  2. Adopt, adapt and create products that develop a digitally competent, confident and capable workforce in order to relentlessly pursue perpetrators and protect victims.
     
  3. Make offender-hostile online environments, working with tech providers to design out VAWG in online spaces and for the tech industry to support upstander not bystander behaviour.

These three objectives are underpinned by building a dynamic intelligence picture on threats and opportunities, which can help prevent violence against women and girls, pursue perpetrators, and deliver better criminal justice outcomes for victims.  This will inform the Strategic Threat and Risk Assessment (STRA) on VAWG that will be published in March 2023.

To support this digital strategic intent, we are running this roundtable to launch the partnership between Policing and the technology sector as we explore opportunities for digital technology to prevent and tackle VAWG.

This roundtable will highlight the breadth and depth of the mission, broken down into 3 pillars, and will cover what is needed for the necessary cultural and behavioural change required to prevent and respond to incidents of VAWG. The rationale of preventing and fighting VAWG through digital is vast and wide – from needing to improve the digital interface between policing and the public, futureproofing policing’s digital capabilities and working in partnership with the tech industry to promote an upstander culture.

Digital technology is at the heart of all of our lives now, a trend accelerated by the pandemic, and is increasingly at the heart of both VAWG offending and investigations. I spoke at the ICDDF digital investigation conference in March where we introduced the idea of developing a digital strategic intent, and issued a call to action to support this work. I have been delighted by the positive response and look forward to working with techUK members to deliver this digital strategic intent and improve the safety of women and girls wherever they are.

Deputy Chief Constable Maggie Blyth

VAWG Taskforce

Some key discussion points will include:

  • The effect of VAWG on victims and their families
     
  • Reporting VAWG
     
  • Arrests and prosecutions
     
  • Pursuing perpetrators
     
  • Changing crime landscape
     
  • The nature of evidence and data sharing
     
  • Digital investigation
     
  • The increase in digital data – threat or opportunity?
     
  • Multi-agency working  

Attendees are being asked to think about answers to the following questions in advance of the session:

  • How can policing work better with the tech sector?
     
  • How can suppliers work with policing to deliver the digital vision for tackling VAWG?
     
  • What does developing an ‘upstander’ not a ‘bystander’ culture mean and, how can the tech sector support?
     
  • What technologies are available for frontline policing to support their response to incidents of VAWG?
     
  • What preventative measures exist?
Georgie Morgan

Georgie Morgan

Head of Justice and Emergency Services, techUK

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