Force streamlines domestic abuse response

On average, the force receives 75 calls a day relating to domestic abuse.

Using video call technology, a new team of officers based in the control room is now making contact with victims through secure video calls.

The streaming platform – called GoodSAM – ensures victims receive the same service as they would if an officer attended in-person, but with reduced delays, the force said.

It has been implemented by the new Remote Investigations Domestic Abuse (RIDA) team, which was launched last month.

Charlotte Cook, project manager in Nottinghamshire Police’s corporate development team, said: “It’s exactly the same as if a police officer was coming to you to take a statement, only it’s done remotely using a mobile phone or laptop.

“The technology is very simple to use – the victim is sent a secure link via text or email, they need a device with a camera but they don’t need to download any applications and it doesn’t use any of their data.

“That said, if a victim would rather have a police officer come to them in person, we will of course ensure that happens.”

She said the remote system presented “advantages for victims and police forces”.

“It saves officer time, enabling us to get to victims of domestic abuse quicker. It also allows the victim to avoid having a police car parked outside their home,” said Ms Cook.

“We’re confident the key outcomes will be improved victim satisfaction and increased positive outcomes in domestic abuse cases.”

The team currently consists of one sergeant and five constables. There are plans to eventually expand RIDA to three teams.

Sergeant Sophie Dickinson, who leads the team, said: “We can already see a positive difference that we’re making in terms of victim satisfaction. We’re able to reach a lot of victims who don’t want, for one reason or another, the police going to their address and we’re able to make an appointment with them on the GoodSAM call and still build a really good rapport with them.

“So far we’ve had really positive results. We’re seeing the victim, taking the statement, doing the Public Protection Notices and doing all of the safeguarding. We then work with response [teams] where necessary to ensure the suspect is arrested and interviewed.”

PC Matthew Sisson, who joined the RIDA team from the response team at Retford, added: “The victims I’ve spoken to have definitely been pleased with the service.

“Victim satisfaction is a really important part of what we’re about and we’ve all had advanced training to ensure we’re delivering a quality service. We’re given the freedom to deliver that quality service in the time we need to do it properly.”

Chief Inspector Amy Styles-Jones said she was confident the RIDA team will prove a great success. “The team have settled really well into a new way of working and we’re seeing them make a positive impact, to victims of domestic abuse and to our front line teams by reducing some of the incidents they need to attend,” she said.

“We take domestic abuse extremely seriously and we will do what we can, along with our partners to safeguard victims and survivors and robustly deal with perpetrators.”