Lancashire strides in combating violence against women and girls
Focus on improved policing performance and community safety initiatives
Lancashire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Clive Grunshaw, has chaired a recent Accountability Board meeting to evaluate progress in policing performance and efforts to tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG).
The meeting involved the Chief Constable and senior leaders and centred around the Police and Crime Plan's objectives. A notable segment focused on VAWG, as it constitutes a growing component of recorded crimes and remains a top priority.
Commissioner Grunshaw was briefed on officer training in public protection and trauma-informed practices, highlighting successful initiatives like Project Vigilant. This proactive approach aims to curb predatory behaviour as part of Lancashire's NightSafe campaign to enhance safety during nights out.
Further investment has bolstered Clare’s Law disclosures under the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme, aimed at safeguarding individuals from domestic abuse. Efforts continue to ensure children’s voices are considered, vulnerabilities identified, and appropriate safeguarding referrals made.
Updates were also provided on evidence-led prosecutions for domestic abuse, enabling the police to prosecute offenders even when victim support is limited. The meeting noted increased focus on stalking and harassment, with new stalking prevention orders and a stalking scrutiny panel established. Additionally, April saw the introduction of a criminal offence for sex-based harassment in public spaces.
Neighbourhood crime has decreased, accompanied by an increase in neighbourhood policing personnel. Gains include a 10% drop in residential burglaries and a 9% fall in weapons possession offenses. Initiatives like Nice2Share encourage community registration of CCTV and video doorbells, forming a ‘digital neighbourhood watch’ and facilitating faster crime resolution and victim support.
Performance metrics reflect sustained improvements in call handling, with recognition from the College of Policing for innovations such as a call-back function and improved online crime reporting. Emergency response rates show over 94% of incidents attended within 15 minutes, nearly 98% of priority calls within an hour, and 96% of routine incidents within eight hours.
Reflecting on the outcomes, PCC Clive Grunshaw stated:
“The public want the police to be there when they need them - responding to incidents and maintaining a visible presence in our communities. It is always encouraging to see reductions in crime, particularly offences such as burglary, which can have a lasting impact. I’m pleased that Lancashire continues to be one of the top-performing forces in the country, and I’m proud of the work that has gone into sustaining these results.
“Preventing violence against women and girls is vital. These offences have profound physical, emotional, and social impacts on victims and their families. These crimes affect millions of people, so it is right that we dedicated a significant part of this meeting to understanding the work underway in this area and the outcomes being delivered locally.
“Strengthening neighbourhood policing and driving up standards are also central to rebuilding public trust and confidence. I will continue to hold these Accountability Board meetings to ensure transparency, robust scrutiny and ongoing improvements across policing.”