In this latest PolicingTV video covering the work of Suffolk Constabulary, force Inspector Matt Paisley talks to Sergeant Lisa Vaughan and PC Aga Mann about an initiative in force piloting a video response to domestic incidents.
“We took the blueprint that was given to us by Kent Constabulary, which focused around a video response to domestic incidents, rather than a physical policing response. We adapted it slightly to make it fit for what would work in Suffolk.”
“A call taker will identify a CAD [Computer Aided Dispatch] that fits our criteria and is suitably graded. They will then pass that phone call over to one of the officers that we have in the control room. They would go through a more thorough risk assessment with the person on the phone just to make sure that it was, definitely, suitable. They would then send, via the GoodSAM platform, a link to the person, which they would open up on a smart device – a phone, iPad, something like that. That would then initiate a video call…”
“It’s trying to capture all of that evidence from the victim at the point at which they’ve decided to make contact with us.”
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Interesting video. It provides a real-life example of the debate around making best use of technology in modern policing versus the need to provide reassurance to victims via face-to-face contact. There are always going to be challenges using remote contact in cases where the victim is vulnerable, but could this be offset by the ability to provide a more immediate response? PC Aga Mann talking about how she felt awkward at first as she was not comfortable with using the technology to speak to victims raises a further discussion about whether this would work better for some victims more than others. A similar debate is happening in the NHS re GP services, where the consequences for patients can also be significant. This is certainly a discussion for our times! Thank you for sharing.