Tackling domestic abuse is a priority for Northamptonshire Police and officers are using new legislation and initiatives to better protect victims and those at risk of domestic violence.
In the past month, 853 domestic violence offences were recorded, more than 16 per cent of all recorded crimes in the county and up almost 17 per cent compared to the same time last year.
To help tackle the issue, the force is currently piloting project PIPA (Preventing Intimate Partner Abuse), an early intervention approach where a first time offender who would have received a simple caution as a penalty, will now be given a conditional caution and made to attend a special programme to change their behaviour.
Project PIPA helps offenders understand their behaviour and all the expert evidence from experts is that this is an approach that prevents offenders from reoffending.
Offenders are only sent on the programme with the agreement of the victim and if they fail to attend the sessions, they will be put before the courts. So far, a total of 16 offenders have successfully completed the programme.
Stephen Mold, Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, said: “I am confident that this ground-breaking approach will be a real change with better outcomes for victims and I thank my team and the police officers involved who have worked hard to bring this to Northamptonshire.”
