Researchers' guidance on managing serious domestic abuse perpetrators adopted by Merseyside and Cheshire Police
A new report, funded by the N8 Policing Research Partnership, provides insight into ‘High Harm High Frequency’ (HHHF) offenders, in a bid to refine police policy and practice towards domestic abuse offenders. In partnership with Cheshire Police, and further supported by Merseyside, Cumbria, Sussex, and Suffolk police forces, recommendations have been made on policing strategies for managing serious domestic abuse perpetrators.
Strategies currently adopted by Cheshire Police showed positive action in the area, with a 19% arrest rate in 2019 [far lower than the national average of 32%] rising to 31% in 2022, above the national rate [30%] over the course of 3-years; although there is still need for drastic advancement. Researchers from the University of Liverpool analysed various strategies used by Cheshire and other police forces to disrupt the criminal careers of high-harm high-frequency (HHHF) domestic abuse perpetrators, from April 2022 – May 2023. By analysing the strategies police forces implemented, the researchers were able to explore which worked most effectively in terms of reducing re-offending in HHHF. This carried important implications for managing offending behaviour, improving victim-survivor engagement, and reducing operational policing costs.
Since the publication of the report, recommendations made have been implemented by both Merseyside and Cheshire Police which will increase the focus on the most serious perpetrators. This will allow the research team to conduct further analysis and evaluation following the implementation, which in turn will provide valuable case studies for other collaborating police forces.
This followed the release of the Government’s Strategic Policing Requirement in February 2023, which introduced violence against women and girls as an additional national threat, with clear expectations for how local and regional police capabilities tackle violence against women and girls, and how local forces work with others. Considering in 2022 in Cheshire alone, there were 21,059 domestic abuse incidents, of which 17,154 were crime, this report is key in developing policing strategies to reduce re-offending in HHHF domestic abuse offenders.
The study identified good practice regarding the management of HHHF offenders with mental health problems; however, given there is a strong correlation between HHHF domestic abuse and mental health/illness, the recommendation was also made for improved co-ordination between mental health services and HHHF management processes. There are data gaps in current policing practice, which slows down the identification of those with criminal careers, giving more opportunity to reoffend. The report recommended streamlined practices across forces, especially concerning entry and maintenance of HHHF databases. The data-analytical processes of identifying serious perpetrators requires refinement to make it easier to curb offending trajectories, manage offenders and reduce re-offending, particularly in relation to HHHF domestic abuse.
Speaking of the report, Professor Barry Godfrey, Principal Investigator, said:
“The recommendations from this report hope to improve policing practice, through streamlined services and increased communication. Following the implementation of the report, we hope to see earlier intervention following identification of HHHF domestic abuse offenders, and the application of effective management strategies, with the outcome of a significant reduction in reoffending.”
The full report can be accessed on the Sociology, Social Policy, and Criminology webpages.