Policing Board welcomes improvements across repeat victimisation and strip searching of young people
The number of repeat victims in Northern Ireland has fallen by more than 1,000, according to figures presented to the Policing Board.
The statistics also show fewer repeat victims of domestic abuse and hate crime, as well as fewer repeat child victims.
The figures from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), which were outlined at the Board’s Performance Committee meeting on Thursday (June 13), show the number of repeat victims has reduced by 1,043. The repeat victimisation rate has also reduced by 0.5 percentage points, indicating that there are fewer repeat victims of crime across Northern Ireland.
The Board’s chair, Mukesh Sharma MBE DL who was in attendance at the committee, said: “On behalf of the committee, I want to record our appreciation of the hard work by PSNI officers and staff to create the positive results they were able to present today.
“Rates of repeat victimisation have fallen across domestic abuse, child victims, and hate-motivated crimes. Everyone deserves to live without fear, and we’re glad to see these figures trending in the right direction.”
Members also received an update on the PSNI response to the Board’s Human Rights Review of Children and Young People: Strip Searching in Police Custody.
“Police have accepted and put in practice the majority of the report’s recommendations and have actively supported those which require action from the Department of Justice,” the Board said.
Mr Sharma added: “The committee would also like to recognise the positive response from PSNI in accepting the majority of the Board’s recommendations from the human rights review into the strip searching of young people in police custody published last year.
“Strip searching is one of the most intrusive interactions that occur between police and a child or young person, and we welcome the reduction in the number of strip searches conducted.
“Children and young people facing this procedure must always have an adult to support and advise them with the systems for recording, as well as checks and balances also being significantly improved.”