PCC invites residents to raise questions ahead of her meeting on women and girl's safety across Derbyshire

Police and Crime Commissioner Nicolle Ndiweni-Roberts is calling on the public to get involved as she prepares to assess the work underway to protect women and girls from violence.

The Derbyshire PCC will host her next Public Assurance Meeting (PAM) on Monday 31 March where she will consider a detailed report by the force on the progress being made to tackle high harm crimes against women and girls including domestic abuse, stalking and harassment and sexual violence, and collaborative efforts to increase support for victims and survivors.

Residents and business owners are being reminded they can contribute to the meeting by submitting any questions they have in relation to women's safety in advance. These questions will be put to the Constabulary and answered by either Chief Constable Rachel Swann or the relevant specialist force lead during the proceedings.

Nicolle said: "Violence against women and girls is a national threat and deeply concerns our communities here in Derbyshire. This is why tackling VAWG and serious violence in its totality is a priority in my Police and Crime Plan and why I am determined to ensure all stakeholders, partners and residents themselves are fully involved and engaged in efforts to eradicate this offending. 

"I know the force is working tirelessly to turn the tide on these crimes and do better for victims, including holding many more perpetrators accountable. Now at epidemic levels, however, VAWG cannot be tackled through law enforcement alone and this is why partnerships remain so critical to our ability to reduce harm in our communities in the long-term.

"VAWG is an issue that impacts all of us, and we must all play our part in preventing these crimes and disrupting the dangerous attitudes and culture that pervade them. There is always more to achieve, and this meeting will give us an opportunity to discuss our future steps."

The PCC said the experiences of residents and survivors themselves was vital for developing meaningful solutions and urged people to submit any questions or concerns they have regarding VAWG ahead of the PAM meeting.

Following extensive consultation with the public after coming into office, Nicolle made Serious Violence including Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) one of her priorities in the Police and Crime Plan 2024-29.

The Commissioner, who has vowed to amplify and encourage the voice of the public throughout her term, previously unveiled her ambition to deliver initiatives that aim to address crimes that disproportionately affect women and girls such as domestic abuse, sexual offences, stalking and harassment.

She has also pledged to work with young people and adults on the issues surrounding VAWG offences to both increase awareness of the problem and better understand their concerns.

The PCC will hear how the force has focused on VAWG awareness raising and prevention over the past 12 months and how it has continued to drive improvements in investigations.

An initiative that is already delivering results is SmartWater, a type of forensic liquid that is invisible to the naked eye but glows fluorescent yellow under ultraviolet lamps. It can be used on door handles and gates for example and is also available in canisters for those at high risk of violence and abuse.

Several perpetrator intervention programmes have been funded across the county to increase the safety of victims and to reduce reoffending. These went live in October 2024 and a full review of their impact is set to take place in 2025. However, the force already anticipates a reduction in repeat offending for those attending interventions.

In other work, the force has developed a network of Domestic Abuse Champions to disseminate best practice to frontline workers who have received additional training and are engaging in live streamed events with stakeholders and partners to raise awareness of issues in the DA and VAWG arena.

Elsewhere, the Derby and Derbyshire Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), which launched in October 2023, has helped to drive a 1% reduction in serious violence and an 11% reduction in knife crime.  Public Assurance Meetings are recorded and published via the Commissioner's website and social media channels.

Questions should be submitted in writing and cannot be in relation to current investigations. The deadline for submission of all questions is Monday 3rd February. To submit your questions, please visit this link.