An innovative digital tool is set to help police improve investigations into allegations of domestic abuse.
Mobile phone app Optik, which allows officers to carry out duties away from the police station, is being upgraded this autumn to include a new domestic abuse risk assessment process.
The upgrade will see Norfolk officers able to access background information at the scene and file reports while speaking to victims.
Norfolk chief constable Paul Sanford said the current system sees officers having to go back to the police station to manually input submissions which can take up to 45 minutes.
“The new risk assessment will be on the mobile phone and it will be able to be entered at source when speaking to the victim of abuse,” he told a meeting of the Norfolk Police and Crime Panel on Monday (November 14).
“The benefit will be that the risk assessment will be done a lot quicker. It will free up officers' time. It will be more accurate, meaning a better experience for the victim.”
Domestic abuse now makes up almost one in four of all crimes investigated in the county with Mr Sanford saying it was the single biggest issue facing the force with almost every officer handling at least one domestic crime.
In the wake of the murder of Sarah Everard, he said the force was determined to improve how it investigates violence against women and girls, including providing extra training for officers.
In the past, specialist units had been able to absorb domestic abuse investigations but the number of cases now meant all frontline officers were being given additional training.
As well as the new mobile phone risk assessment the use of body cam footage is also being given greater emphasis in a bid to boost conviction rates.
“Better than any statement it can record the scenario that is appearing in front of officers and we are increasingly using that to improve the quality of evidence that is presented in court and even pursue convictions even where the victim doesn’t consent,” said Mr Sanford.
The conviction rate for domestic violence and abuse is around seven per cent.
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