Mouvement pour l'Égalité entre les Femmes et les Hommes
Improved police response to domestic violence
The first responders to domestic violence situations are often the police. The latter, as « coordinators » of support services for victims and aggressors, must collaborate with other service providers. However, in many European jurisdictions, various individual, organizational and systemic barriers hinder their ability to make necessary referrals.
A lack of specialized training and skills among police officers to adopt a victim-centered approach is often noted. At the organizational level, the lack of clear rules for the behavior of police officers in cases of domestic violence creates difficulties. From a systemic perspective, barriers arise when public and community organizations fail to collaborate effectively.
Goals
The TACTICS project will build on previous work to strengthen the police and community response to domestic violence. This improvement will take place at the level of local courts in seven countries where TACTICS will be deployed (Estonia, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Spain, Romania).
Our team will work with the police, victim support services and perpetrators to improve their responsiveness to domestic violence. This will involve capacity building activities and multi-agency cooperation. It is crucial to increase awareness and adopt an appropriate attitude towards victims of domestic violence, especially those with specific needs such as the elderly, drug addicts, refugees etc.
We will also develop innovative digital solutions to address gaps in community responses to domestic violence.
TACTICS will form working groups in each region to overcome obstacles to structural change. The aim is to define systematic responses to domestic violence, including the creation of regional roadmaps to guide current and future improvements in collaboration between agencies, formalizing cooperation, improving the assessment of risks and other police procedures related to DV.
The results will be widely disseminated among partner countries and at European Union level.
The main activities of the project
– Inventory of police practices regarding situations of intimate partner violence in the European Union.
– Focus groups of victims, perpetrators, police officers and other front-line professionals around the issue of intimate partner violence and its police treatment.
– Intra- and inter-professional working groups around the improvement of practices.
– Manual for inter-agency cooperation between police and other front-line professionals.
– Online content: courses, data synthesis, etc.
– Conference.
– Communication via different social networks throughout the project.
The expected results
In the TACTICS project, short and medium term results will be obtained. These results include research and the formation of working groups in seven countries. The aim is to improve responses to domestic violence.
Among the expected changes will be collaborative agreements between the police, victim support organizations and other agencies. These agreements will concern training, risk assessment, monitoring and data sharing.
Working methods will be improved. The rules will be stricter.
Policies and practices will be developed to train police on violence against women. New digital strategies and tools will facilitate communication and data analysis.
In the long term, the actions of TACTICS will contribute to changing practices within the police and other actors. The use of data and technology will help combat domestic and violence against women. This will reduce risks and instances of violence, particularly among vulnerable populations.
This approach will serve as inspiration for other communities seeking similar results.
The beneficiaries of TACTICS are the police, the victims‘ caregivers, the perpetrators of domestic violence and the victims themselves. Especially victims with special needs. The approach will help strengthen collaboration, improve services and reduce victim blaming. Regular review of results ensures their contribution to the promotion of gender equality, integration and non-discrimination.