Operation Shield- The Numbers From Humberside Police

The police force serving the southern leg of the Yorkshire Coast has revealed more on successes from their Operation Shield.

Officers say forty-three people have been arrested on suspicion of Domestic Abuse offences so far as part of their continued commitment to tackle those harming the community through Operation Shield.

Of these, twelve have been charged and remanded with offences including assault, harassment, stalking, public order, breaching of domestic violence protection, or non-molestation orders, and are now going through the judicial process.

But Police say commitment to tackling Domestic Abuse doesn’t just involve arresting suspects, they also have a specialist team working around the clock to ensure that victims are supported and protected.

Based within the Criminal Investigation Departments (CID) on both sides of the Humber, the Domestic Abuse Safeguarding and Investigation Team (DASIT) has been created specifically to support and safeguard victims of domestic abuse, including any children involved, by providing them the best possible service and care.

Detective Chief Inspector Dave Stephenson heading up the teams on the Southbank said:

“Domestic Abuse is a crime that can affect anybody. It doesn’t matter how old you are or where you live, anyone can become a victim and every case is different.

“DASIT enables us to make sure that from the outset, all victims are getting the best possible support from us.

“Within the teams we have investigators working alongside the safeguarding teams, which ensures a consistent approach from first report right through to eventual resolution.   

“Both parts of the team also work very closely with a whole host of different partner agencies, meaning everybody is working together to find the best possible outcome.

“Not every outcome will work for every victim, and we are committed to listening to our victims, assessing their individual needs, and ensuring that we put the correct things in place to safeguard and support them.

“Sadly, it is a crime type that often affects children, and these effects can be lifelong. We are committed to keeping the children in our area safe and the introduction of this new team is helping us to do that.

“Of course, we will also make arrests and take action against offenders through the courts, not only protecting our victims from further harm but also in some cases helping to achieve a sense of justice for them.”

Detective Inspector Helen Collier who leads teams on the Northbank added:

“We have been utilising the SmartWater technology in cases of domestic abuse since August last year and have now distributed 100 cannisters on the Southbank alone during the initial trial, meaning we can now expand and offer more cannisters to more victims across our force area.

“SmartWater is a fluid initially designed to mark property, using unique DNA codes so it could be identified if stolen, and is now being used to allow crime victims to mark their attackers because traces of the fluid cannot be washed off or seen with the naked eye.

“This offers victims an additional safeguarding measure to make them feel safer in their homes and whilst going about their business.

“This approach is not new to policing, and it is being used in conjunction with ongoing support from specialist officers within our dedicated DASIT teams, as well as partners including the Domestic Abuse Partnership, who are co-located in our office at Clough Road.

“We know that this technology makes a real difference to victims of domestic abuse and stalking, helping them feel safer and more in control.

“I would always encourage anyone who is a victim of domestic abuse or is worried that a friend or family member may be a victim, to please contact us on our non-emergency 101 line, or 999 if someone is in immediate danger.

“We will listen to you; we will look after you and we will do everything we can to make sure that you are safe; including offering SmartWater cannisters.”

If you are in danger and cannot talk on the phone, officers say you can call 999 and listen to the questions from the operator, and if you can, cough or tap on the handset to reply. You can also press 55 on your handset to make yourself heard and this will transfer your call directly to the police.