If we ever needed more proof that DV and rape

[JustAnotherManicNameChange]

Are not taken seriously. Crime in name only, and not important enough to make the list for emergency crime. Nope, they get listed alongside anti social behaviour and complaints. I don't think missing persons should be on that list either btw.

Just deal with it online and don't bother the very busy operators and police officers with pesky allegations of rape,sexual assault and domestic abuse. There's more important crimes out there, don't you know?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-65039349?fbclid=IwAR2XbfNUjEAXn4x2-ptv8l7TD7Ay8iZbIuAdjBmDUSLlOO_71BhLh9uLS-o

How do any police officials dare to say that VAWAG is a priority when shit like this goes on day in ,day out?

How do they expect victims to trust them,fight and get further traumatised?

Fucking joke.

Yeah, couldn’t agree more. Was tentatively happy with the labour stuff on rape crimes but good lord it’s a long way to go from here.

rape really is legal in all but name in the UK.

Very badly worded - I think the word 'can' is the key

They 'can' be reported online if the person wants to

But most of the incidents on the list should be considered via a 999 or 101 call - especially if its just happened or ongoing; DV, rapes, sexual assaults, missing people or crime - especially so

The issue is it wasn't presented as another option . It was part of their Click B4 U Call campaign to free up call handlers. It tells women that not only their rape is a non emergency but also that they're low on their list of priorities.

You're not wrong. Sadly.

Emergency is usually used for something ongoing - where police will respond to the crime in progress. Non emergency is the wording used for reporting after the crime has been committed and where the perpetrators are no longer actively involved in the crime. This was a language misunderstanding not a priority issue.

But a rape should be a priority @musingsinmidlife , if for no other reason than because there is a limited time frame for recovering forensic evidence, so it shouldn’t be on the ‘log it online and we’ll get round to you eventually list’.
This list indicates a lack of competence in investigation in addition to a lack of understanding of the signals they’re sending.

I agree and anyone who has been raped would definitely be an emergency call if there was evidence to collect. However if one is reporting historical abuse or assault - then they can choose to file a report online.

I think this was a miscommunication. These are things that can be reported online - not that can't be an emergency call.

It is good they took the posters down as it was clearly confusing. But if someone calls to say I was just raped - they will get a response - not be told to report it online.

Except those crimes can be ongoing , especially if reported by someone else. Not to mention a lot of the evidence that can be critical in a trial deteriorates/vanishes the longer you wait for someone to "get in touch".

Of course and as I said in my previous response, the message was clearly confusing. This wasn't to say that these crimes could only be reported online and that they can't be emergencies. If you call to report ongoing DV or a rape that is or has just occured - there would be an emergency response. They wouldn't tell you to go report your crime online.

I also think that giving people who have been victimized options is a good thing. Someone might not be comfortable making a phone call and being on the spot about answering questions and speaking about what happened but they might be comfortable filling in a written form online. They might also be in partial denial and not thinking it is an emergency. Having the only reporting option being a phone call to an emergency number might actually lessen the number of victims who report.

Missing persons and hate crimes are also crimes that one can report online - but obviously similar to rape or DV can also be called in as emergencies.

They should be using language from their service users’ perspective to communicate with them. It doesn’t matter what the police definition of ‘emergency’ is; what matters here is that people will read this as a list of ‘unimportant’ things the police care less about. And they will read it that way.

That’s especially dangerous for issues like domestic violence or rape and sexual assault where victims face significant barriers to reporting. Anyone who properly gave it any thought would recognise that this communication is likely to be problematic.

I mean, what’s happened is that the sign has been made by someone who has no understanding of strategic comms for these kind of crimes. But it’s really bad to be putting up signs in police stations that say words that will be read as ‘we’re busy; don’t bother reporting this unimportant stuff’.

Right but as I said above, having to call an emergency number as the only option to report DV and SA might actually lessen the number of people reporting. Some will be more comfortable filling in a written form than speaking in live time to an operator about it. So having more than one option is report is actually supported by many victim services. It gives people choice. You can also report online if you don't want an emergency response.

@musingsinmidlife I apologise. We cross posted so didn't see your reply until after I had posted mine.

If you are trying to offer different options, there are much better ways to communicate that.

You’re going to want to treat DV and rape and SA differently in those comms campaigns though. Not least because there are messages about being able to report more discreetly that may matter a great deal for victims of those crimes.

Someone deciding to print off an A4 sign to tape in the door saying ‘it’s not an emergency’ is not a way to support victims to report these things.

As I said, that sign isn’t offering options. It feels dismissive instead.

as such it will undermine important work to offer options and support victims.

a great deal of though goes into comms about this stuff at a strategic level. Because it does matter.

Local forces deciding to print their own messages with no thought to the DV strategy etc can do much more harm than good.

There are already proper comms campaigns and materials about non-emergency reporting. There’s no need to print your own on the office printer.

The language doesn't actually say the crime isn't an emergency. It says if you have an enquiry about a non emergency (not a crime in progress) crime of this nature, it CAN be reported online. If your enquiry is about a crime in progress - then you can't report it online. Not everyone processes a past or present assault as an emergency that makes them want to call 999 and have an emergency response show up at their door. If they are just getting to the point of making an enquiry about it, being able to submit it online can be of benefit.

They did realize it wasn't ideal and that it would be misinterpreted and they did take it down.

They did realize it wasn't ideal and that it would be misinterpreted and they did take it down.

1.It should have never been put up.

1. They didn't "realise" it was taken down after complaints. That is a totally different situation.

The lack of awareness doesn't help victims' or the public's confidence in their (local?) police force.

Part of policing is having effective and sensitive communications about crimes and how to report them.

They got it terribly wrong here.

The police are under resourced and that why staff in stations do things that they imagine will help. But they don’t have the bigger picture and can do harm.

igivein
But a rape should be a priority. if for no other reason than because there is a limited time frame for recovering forensic evidence, so it shouldn’t be on the ‘log it online and we’ll get round to you eventually list’.
This list indicates a lack of competence in investigation in addition to a lack of understanding of the signals they’re sending.

It depends if it has been a historic report of rape. Some people report rapes that have happened years/months ago. They were not ready to report before - but are now. If that's the case, they will be outside of the forensic window.

Some victims/survivors also prefer to report it by writing it down rather than phoning it in. I think that they should be given every option to be able to report it by any method they feel comfortable with.

The notice is not saying that all rapes have to be reported this way - but they can if the victim/survivor feels that this is a better way for them to do it.

I agree that it is badly worded - and if it is within the forensic window it should be an emergency. We always deal with them as an emergency when they are reported - and then develop the investigation strategy after this.

Just to add further - there are lots of reasons why victims/survivors may find it easier to report on line and not via a phone call.

They may be in a controlling DV relationship and not able to speak openly on a phone.

They may not want to talk about it on a phone call with a stranger, but prefer to write it themselves

They may live in a care facility and not be able to speak openly in the premises - especially if the suspect is on the care staff

They may be a school pupil who doesn't want to make a phone call from home (suspect may be living at their address). Also can't make a phone call from school in case they are overheard.

I think its good that we can give them an option of how they want to report it.

I agree. I think it is unfortunate that so many want DV and SA removed from the list of enquiries about crimes that can be reported online.

There are many victims who do not want to call and speak to someone and who don't want a full emergency response to their home. Taking away other options for them is unfortunate.

That’s missing the point. It’s not excluding them from other ways of reporting.

It’s a sign that lumps it in with reporting graffiti in the park in such a way that minimises the issues.

The list also includes hate crimes and missing people and many other offenses. It isn't equalizing the crimes on the list at all. It isn't prioritizing them. It was giving a list of what crimes have the option to use the non emergency online reporting system for inquiries. That is all the list was. It said what 'can' be reported online. I understand you feel they shouldn't have that option for serious crimes as it trivilalized them to you and that the online reporting option should only be for minor crimes. I just disagree. It is very common in many places to give victims options in how to report and yes that includes both minor and major crimes being given the online reporting option. Noting specifc to Kent Police. You feel better knowing that the women in Kent won't know about that option, I don't.

I understand all that and actually agree. But that's not what the poster said. It's not why it was made either. It's purpose was solely to reduce numbers of calls. It's part of a campaign called Think B4 U Call. I don't believe victims of sexual violence and abuse should be required to think before they call.

It wasn't designed to raise awareness and give more options for victims. The wording makes that very obvious.

The fact that there is a need for the service does not mean that that poster was well intended or acceptable.Any positive effects that you might see , are purely coincidental not the intention. That's the problem.