Agenda item

Report of the Commissioner.

Members received a report of the Commissioner regarding Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG).

The Assistant Commissioner acknowledged the strength of feeling following the murder of Sarah Everard. The Force was shocked, disappointed and angered. She hoped that as a service and as a community, that if properly addressed, policing would come out of this in a better position. This was a national policing priority.

A fuller report on actions the Force was taking would come to the SPPC, PSIC and the Board in February 2022 (28/2021/P). Thanks were issued to the Force for providing the interim report in such short order.

From the outset, consideration should be made for how online abuse is dealt with. This was not only a significant area for harassment but could also assist with the prediction of when online abuse will tip into real life. In some cases, women had been driven offline completely, which was a colossal impediment to living in the 21^st Century.

It was clear that this particular area work would not include violence against men. Although it was recognised that there were other areas of policing that were of significant importance, including homophobia. A vulnerability steering group were picking up violent crime more broadly, but the reporting on VAWG needed to not be lost in this wider work.

The City’s own reports of VAWG were smaller in number due to the demographics within the City and so responses to them were comprehensive and thorough.

The City of London Police had been, and continued to be, involved with the Ask Angela Campaign through the Safer City Partnership. Funding in this area had been applied for by the Force and by the City Corporation through the licensing function. 

Conversation linked back to previous discussions on banter and toxic working cultures.

It was agreed that a more in depth discussion was required on VAWG in the short term at the forthcoming November PSIC and SPPC. Discussions in these committees could help inform the report in February 2022 (29/2021/P).

RESOLVED, that the report be noted.