Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner

Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of riding a bike.  Whether you like a bit of healthy competition, leisurely cycling with family and friends or commuting to work, the benefits of cycling are limitless.  It was therefore great to see the cyclists amongst us, travelling from across Bristol to take part in the traffic-free ride through the city centre last weekend.  The turnout of those taking part in the event looked fantastic and I was delighted to see people of all ages taking to two wheels to join in the fun.

What was overwhelming from this event, was how groups of people came together to enjoy being outside and sharing in the common interest of cycling.  Looking at pictures and hearing from those who attended, it was clear this was an inclusive, community event.  The importance of bringing people together, whatever the common interest, should never be underestimated and I welcome any opportunity that unites our communities.  We know that stronger communities, working together, are safer communities.

Policing is too big a job for the police along and it’s only by working with our communities can we make a difference in keeping people safe and feeling safe.  Over the summer, the police have been working closely with local residents across Bristol to help them take action to protect their homes against burglars if their houses have been empty over the summer.  This includes ensuring doors and windows aren’t left open in the warmer weather and giving hints and tips about keeping property safe and secure.

Many burglary victims have shared with me how disruptive and upsetting this crime is.  Being burgled means more than the inconvenience of an insurance claim and has the potential to ruin your summer.  As part of our burglary campaign we conducted a twitter poll asking people if they’d left their house unlocked or a window open - 68% of people who took part in the poll said yes.  Around 30% of all burglaries could have been avoided, because burglars got in through open windows, unsecured sheds or unlocked doors.

I am keen that together, we all do what we can to avoid opportunist thieves. That’s why I would encourage you to Be Home Safe and ask you to remember to hide your valuables, shut your window and lock your doors when leaving your home.  Please don’t make it easy for burglars.  It is really important that you are safe and feel safe in your home, knowing your property is secure, during the summer months and all year round.

This week I celebrated some of the work of those individuals going above and beyond in our communities at my latest Pride Awards.  Among those presented with awards were members of the Safelink team, recognised for their efforts in supporting men, women and children that have been affected by sexual assault or sexual abuse.  We also recognised 7-year-old Jack Short, who raised the alarm when his elderly neighbour needed help, and which resulted in him saving her life.

Young Victims’ Advocates (YVA) cover the whole of the Avon and Somerset Police area, working from a variety of bases including from home, in their car or at partner agencies’ premises.

Because the focus of the team is on service delivery, there is no admin support, so each YVA takes it in turn to cover ‘duty’. This means they will start by setting the main phone line (01275 88 44 88) to divert to their mobile phone so that they can take any calls that come in during the day. Next they will log in and check our secure email account ([email protected]) and our public account ([email protected])  to see what referrals have come in that way. Those that are received are logged onto the system, an email sent to the referrer to acknowledge safe receipt and initial contact made with the young person and/or their family to say that we are available to help.

The ‘duty’ YVA will then carry on with their main work – visiting young victims at their school or home or wherever is most ‘comfortable’ for them and providing opportunity to talk about what is happening; they will be talking to parents and other involved agencies to check details, see what other support might be available, or advocate for support to be made available. Some time will be spent planning sessions for specific young people because every response is bespoke to the individual, their personality, needs and circumstances as well as the nature of their victimisation.

Other visits during the day might include supporting a young victim and their parent/carer(s) to visit Court prior to, or while giving evidence; talking to Police/Lighthouse staff to clarify issues and get answers relating to case progress.

YVAs build strong relationships with young victims who have been through often extremely challenging situations – including witnessing parent upon parent assaults, being assaulted themselves (sometimes by ‘friends’ or by unknown parties), or have been subject to online abuse or grooming (cybercrime is a significant growth area). YVAs have to get close enough to provide support, while enabling the young victim to grow and move on from their experience as quickly as possible to allow them to ‘cope and recover’.

As young people are usually in education, some visits take place in the evening, or even at the weekend, so the end of the day can be quite late. When it comes it is a final check of emails and phones ready for tomorrow when it all starts again.  However, our message is clear, if you're a young person and you need someone to talk to, we're here for you, please get in touch.

Howard Wilson

Manager

Can you imagine going into work every day and at some point during that day being spat on?  Can you then imagine the feeling of having to wait several weeks to find out whether or not you’ve contracted an infection such as hepatitis?  Fortunately, for many of us this isn’t something we are subjected to when at work.  For many police officers, who are just doing their job and working to keep us safe, being spat on is a regular occurrence.  When talking about how to handle those individuals who freely spit on officers and those around them, when they are being detained, the subject generates many opposing views.

One answer which has been implemented by over half of all police forces across the country is the use of spit guards.  A spit guard is a breathable, mesh-fabric hood used as a restraint device intended to prevent someone from spitting or biting.  Spit guards can only be used once and are usually used in police custody, when moving people from one location to another.  With spitting and biting becoming more frequent, it’s an operational decision for the Chief Constable as to whether or not spit guards should be part of the standard issue police kit and of course I will feed local people’s views into these conversations.

The use of spit guards is one that understandably divides opinion.   Spit guards are not a tool that the police use lightly and like their powers they are to use them proportionately and fairly.  However, I equally understand that some might feel that spit guards are distressing, humiliating and challenge an individuals’ human rights.   That’s why I want to hear from you.  What are your thoughts about the police having spit guards as part of their kit? Do you think the police should have to accept being spat at as part of their job? It’s important that the Chief Constable, when making his decision, has taken into consideration all views expressed so please share them with me by emailing [email protected]

As more and more people are taking to the roads to spend their summer holidays on the sunny Cornish beaches or enjoy the picturesque Lake Districts, so too increases the likelihood of accidents on our roads.   This past week alone has seen three major incidents on the M5, resulting in lane closures and on one occasion over 22 miles of tailbacks.   Traffic jams are something we’ve all experienced and are particularly accustomed to over the summer holidays.  However, how many of you keep water in your car to ensure you stay hydrated when stuck in traffic for a prolonged period?  It’s not something I’ve ever really thought about until the idea was shared with me.

We continually give out messages about not leaving dogs in cars, but if you’re not able to keep hydrated when in your car for a length of time, the same principle applies to you and your families.  With a recommended intake of 2 litres of water via food and drink per day, dehydration can happen quickly and when it sets in can become a serious problem.  It will therefore come as no surprise to know that a ‘side-effect of traffic jams’ is that people waiting in the queues who don’t have access to water, can become quite unwell through dehydration. On having this brought to my attention I wanted to take the opportunity to ask you to think about carrying drinking water when you travel.

If you know me, or read my blog last year, you’ll be familiar with the challenges I’m set by my eight year old daughter, who asks me an inordinate amount of questions each day, interested in how my day has been spent, offering me her opinion as freely as I express mine!  In this last blog I was reflecting on the core purpose of the Police and Crime Plan – which for me was to explicitly set out the Police and Crime Commissioner’s (PCC) desired outcomes sought for local people. I wrote that it had taken six months to support the PCC in producing the Plan and that the months to follow would potentially make that time worth spent (or not), because what is the point of that effort without getting the desired results?

It’s been almost a year since we started consulting with local people about the priorities that are contained within the Police and Crime Plan. A lot has changed since the Plan was first launched in November 2016 and in the future we will need to adjust the Plan to reflect the changes that have occurred.  This will include outlining new and future collaborations and reflecting on what needs to be done in light of recent terror attacks across the country.

Strategy is about looking forward. It’s vital to be able to plan for the future and manage risk, and in good time to be well-prepared and prevent issues as much as possible (although obviously you have to adapt and respond to the day as well). Conceptualising and putting a strategy in words is both interesting and difficult work.  However, there is a greater amount of job satisfaction for me in seeing a positive impact from carrying out a strategy effectively.

Producing the PCC’s Annual Report for 2016-17 was a relatively straightforward task this year. The first time I worked on this I was new to my role and a bit unsure of where to look for the information needed to evaluate how the Plan had been delivered. This year I knew my starting point would be all the performance reports that had been submitted to the Police and Crime Board.  The Police and Crime Board enables the PCC to carry out her statutory functions including overseeing delivery of the Police and Crime Plan, be the forum for formal decision making and allow for scrutiny of the work, performance, budget and key projects of the Constabulary and other partners.

Each performance report is scoped and looks at delivery of the key objectives within a priority of the Plan.  Keeping the focus on the progress made against these objectives through the year builds the picture, and the picture was a healthy one. Good progress has been made in the majority of objectives under each priority. The Constabulary should feel a sense of achievement. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabularies (HMIC) has also recognised the improvement made in the period between inspections. Sue recognises it too in the annual report.

My time working on the Plan and on producing the annual report feels well spent to me. The next challenge I see is to communicate that improvement to more people than just my daughter. However, positive relations with policing don’t just come from being told that the police are improving. The key to gaining public confidence does lie in interacting with them. Like my daughter’s found, positive relationships are established over time, through interactions such as those she’s had with officers who visit her school.  After taking a keen interest in my job, and what she’s learned from the school visits, she now feels she knows a lot about the work of the police and the Office of the PCC, and apparently has some ideas for improvement too…

Karin Takel

Strategic Planning and Performance Officer

Avon and Somerset Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner

Visit our new Police and Crime Plan website – www.avonandsomersetplan.co.uk.

Would you be able to spot the signs of human trafficking and modern slavery?

The following blog was written to highlight the work of Unseen, a charity that helps the survivors of modern slavery.

Unseen has been established to work towards a world without slavery. We do this in three main ways;

By supporting survivors and vulnerable people through specialist services to enable them to recover safely and develop resilient, independent lives.

By equipping stakeholders through the provision of training, advice and resources so they can better identify and support actual and potential victims of slavery.

By influencing society through systemic change and using our practical experience, research and survivor stories to inspire change in legislation, policy, and consumer choices.

In 2015 Unseen welcomed the opportunity to provide services for victims and potential victims of modern slavery and trafficking across the Avon and Somerset Police Force as part of the Police and Crime Commissioners funding services for vulnerable people.

Unseen have continued to secure funding from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) in order to:

Support police activity across the force area in the detection of criminal activity and support to potential victims.

Provide training and information to organisations linked to the Lighthouse Project.

Provide resettlement support to victims who had been given a positive conclusive grounds decision.

Modern Slavery is a crime. In its simplest form it is illicit trade in human beings for vast profits. It is happening across the Avon and Somerset force area in establishments selling sex, in car washes, nail bars, on farms, in factories – city, town or rural location people are being commodified, abused and exploited.

Over the last year we have supported some 50 survivors of slavery in the Avon and Somerset force area and provided over 870 hours of direct support to those recovery from horrendous human rights violations in our local community. This support has allowed survivors to settle into the community, understand their rights, gain access to the services they need and continue their journey of recovery towards independence.

Across the force area last year (including Local Authority partners) there were only 17 referrals into the National Referral Mechanism, we have to get better locally at identifying the indicators of slavery and offering victims the opportunity to leave their situation and access support.

The funding from the OPCC has also enabled us to work to support proactive police activity. Working with police, other law enforcement partners and partners from the Anti-Slavery partnership we have been able to attend 14 operational and welfare visits to locations potentially harbouring victims of trafficking.

The support we are able to offer officers by

Providing advice and assistance to Police teams prior to operations;

Attending operation and welfare visit briefings;

Being part of multi-agency teams on days of action and visits;

Speaking to potential victims about the NRM during operations and ensuring they understand their rights and entitlements;

Assisting police to support a potential victim to leave situation of exploitation;

Contribute to debrief and advise on follow up plans and actions.

Most of the operations last year occurred in the Bristol and Bath and North East Somerset area and focussed on male victims being forced into labour.

Unseen have had their funding renewed and are in a position to support officers plan, brief and visit potential locations of exploitation across the force area. We believe that this multi-agency and proactive approach allow us to better understand how slavery presents within our force area, will provide us with the information and intelligence needed to profile and understand the perpetrators of this crime, to recover victims, offer them appropriate support and to pursue prosecutions of those involved in this form of serious and organised criminality.

Find out more at:

www.unseenuk.org

www.aspartnership.org.uk

www.modernslaveryhelpline.org/

Last month Chief Constable Andy Marsh and I wrote to the Prime Minister, Home Secretary and the Policing and Fire Minister explaining that policing in Avon and Somerset is being pushed to the limit.  Last week, I met with Policing and Fire Minister Nick Hurd MP at the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) summit in London. There was an honest and robust conversation with the Minister and I am reassured that he is listening to our concerns.  Policing is now at a pivotal point and I am determined to keep moving forward to ensure we have the funding we need for policing here in Avon and Somerset.  Throughout August we will now meet with our local MPs to continue to call on their support for investment in policing.

In a report published last Thursday by the Office for National Statistics, they announced that crime has risen by 10% across England and Wales, the largest annual rise for a decade.  This is news we were already aware of in Avon and Somerset and that’s why it’s so important that the Chief Constable and I are encouraging everyone to act now.   Clearly any further reductions in police funding will increase the risk for all our communities and the nation. The long term safety of Avon and Somerset and the country will only be protected by a coordinated effort across policing which includes capital and revenue investment.  The police service not only needs frontline and specialist capability investment but also investment in technology and support functions.

So what happens next?  In September the Chief Constable and I will be submitting an evidential case for increasing the government grant in Avon and Somerset to the Policing and Fire Minister.  There will also be national submissions from the NPCC and the APCC, which I have contributed to, arguing for growth in the police budget.  More than anything, I want our local residents to know, that we are doing all we can to make sure that your policing service is receiving the realistic financial support, to continue to ensure you are safe and feel safe.   It’s important times for policing, as it also is for fire following the publication of a critical inspection report by the Home Office into Avon Fire Authority last week.

In the Home Office’s independent statutory inspection report into Avon Fire Authority, they called for sweeping reforms in the governance, leadership and culture of the Authority.  Yesterday, Deputy Mayor of Bristol Cllr Asher Craig, Bath and North East Somerset Council leader, Cllr Tim Warren, North Somerset leader, Cllr Nigel Ashton and South Gloucestershire leader Cllr Matthew Riddle and I came together to discuss the outcomes from the report.  Collectively we feel that the current Fire Authority cannot fix itself and feel we have a responsibility to local people to ensure the issues identified in the report are put right.  The leaders believe this can only be done with a radical restructure by forming a new reduced Fire Authority in line with the report’s recommendations and I will help support them in their effort.

The following blog post was written by former colleague Will Hatfield who worked as an intern in the office for a year. Here’s what he had to say about it:

The past year has been a real eye opener for me. To go from being a full-time student into a work environment has certainly been a challenge. The pace of the work place has been fast and the early starts and late finishes never get easier. Having replaced the Police Authority in 2012, PCC’s are a fairly new concept making awareness and engagement a never ending challenge for the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC).

As Digital, Events and Engagement Coordinator, the vast majority of my role includes social media and public engagement. I have been to all ends of the Avon and Somerset force area with the PCC at community events, public forums and meetings, while also managing our social media platforms. There is some truly fantastic work that the OPCC are involved in and it has been a real pleasure to experience. Social media has allowed me an insight into some of the more interesting areas of the Constabulary such as filming public order training, Taser demonstrations and roads policing, not forgetting the horses and dogs; a definite favourite!

Some personal highlights of my placement include a visit to HMP Leyhill and the National Police Air Service (NPAS), reviewing the magistrate’s court process, visiting the policing team at Hinkley Point C Nuclear Power Station and getting involved in Restorative Justice Week. Other achievements include introducing bi-monthly live Facebook webchats with the PCC and Chief Constable, launching campaigns on Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE), Domestic Abuse and Mental Health and publishing the new Police and Crime Plan 2016-21.  However, my most notable would be recognising exceptional individuals in the PCC Pride Awards and newly introduced Be Proud Awards. These are all events I will never forget.

The team here are extremely kind, efficient and motivated. Everyone is willing to help no questions asked and it is a lovely environment to work in. I have learnt a lot from everyone, due to the diversity of the team and their different roles and experiences. A certain table in the main office couldn’t go without mention as it is often filled with delicious cakes from around the team. One of my favourites, and most bizarre, would be the infamous ‘courgette cake’ which tastes nothing like it sounds.

Working within the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner has been a steep learning curve. They have cultivated my skills, and ultimately matured me as an individual. I have met some wonderful people along the way and will be sad to leave the team. I wish them all the best in the future. Who knows, I might even see them again as an officer.

William Hatfield

Student Placement from the University of the West of England

Red, orange, yellow, green, purple and blue, all the colours of the rainbow and all the colours that filled my social media feeds last weekend, as people across the country celebrated Pride.  It brought a smile to my face seeing all the pictures of everyone across Bristol dressed up, jubilant and joining together to celebrate our differences in sexuality.  One of the biggest Pride gatherings to date, it made me proud to see our city come together in this way; revelling in our diversity and unified in our feeling that undesirable behaviour towards another based on their sexuality will not be tolerated and is not welcome here.

I’ve spent a lot of time in Bristol this week.  As well as meeting with members of the Bristol Somali Forum to discuss the views of the local Somali community, I also met with Integrate Bristol’s Director Lisa Zimmerman.  On Wednesday, I attended the Bristol City Gathering and the Bristol Ideal Awards.  Meeting with people, who are at the heart of their local community, is vital in making sure that I am and continue to be your voice in policing and ensuring the police are concentrating on the things that matter most to you.  

A particular highlight of my week was being invited by Mayor Marvin Rees to speak as part of the City Leadership Programme.  The programme aims to help groups of 18-20 year olds develop their skills to become future leaders.  As part of this, I was invited to talk about my role as your elected PCC, my opinion on what makes a good leader and was able to offer some advice I’d picked up along the way.  I welcome any opportunity that gives people, in particular young people, the chance to gain an insight into leadership roles and shared the same vision as the programme, in setting up my Shadowing Scheme earlier this year.  

Working together is the only way we can make a real difference for our communities now and for generations to come.  It’s also the mind set behind our newly published Bristol ‘plan to keep you safer’, developed jointly by my office and Bristol City Council.  The plan takes the policing priorities that have been set for Avon and Somerset and translates them on a local level, to ensure that together we are keeping our local communities safe and feeling safe.  Together, the Safer Bristol Partnership, the Mayor and I are committed to delivering this plan and protecting our neighbourhoods.  You can view the Bristol Plan at www.avonandsomersetplan.co.uk.

At the end of last week, I was delighted to hear Home Secretary Amber Rudd MP acknowledge, that following the recent atrocities, police resources are stretched and that counter-terrorism operations cannot continue at an emergency level indefinitely.  Given the current situation with regards to policing at this critical crime, the Chief Constable and I felt compelled to take the opportunity to write to the Home Secretary, Prime Minister Theresa May MP and Policing and Fire Minister Nick Hurd MP to make them aware of our situation locally.  In a letter, we explained how policing in Avon and Somerset is being pushed to its limit and with the significant reductions in funding and ongoing savings to find the situation is not sustainable.

We previously wrote to local MPs asking for their support and on Tuesday we shared this letter with the Police and Crime Panel, who also backed our actions and who plan on writing to endorse our views.  Within Avon and Somerset we have worked hard to preserve frontline policing as much as possible.  We know that the role neighbourhood policing plays is vital in tackling terrorism through gathering intelligence and is the only long term solution, working with partners, to addressing these challenges.  That’s why, not only are we asking for investment in additional armed response officers to respond to the direct threat of terrorism, but also for investment in neighbourhood policing to provide prevention and early intervention.

As I have previously said, I have been truly heartened by the local communities’ response to the recent atrocities and we cannot let hate win.  As Ramadan came to an end, I was delighted to have been invited to the Shah Jalal Jame Mosque on Stapleton Road to join members of the local community at their Iftari event.  One of the many highlights of my role as your PCC, is to be invited to events such as this and I relish the  opportunity to learn about more about and experience different cultures, traditions and in this case, the teachings of Islam. Everyone has the right to live and worship peacefully without fear of being targeted because of their ethnicity or religion and I wanted to continue to reassure our local communities that the police and doing everything they can to keep us safe.

It’s hard to believe that we are all talking about the loss of precious life in this country once again. My thoughts and prayers this week have been with all the people caught up in the Grenfell Tower fire.

To say it’s been testing times I feel would be a real understatement.  Between the multiple terror attacks across the country to this week’s horrific fire, our emergency services have been truly pushed to their limits and have done us proud. They’ve showing strength, resilience and the upmost professionalism against such adversity.

Our public services are clearly reaching their limits and policing is no exception. The extraordinary events of the past few weeks have thrown a sharp focus on the very demanding security context in which we are operating. These are challenging times in policing, with crime and the demands for services changing at a faster rate than ever before, and all against a backdrop of a reducing workforce.

In Avon and Somerset over £52million of required savings has been made and as a consequence we have 750 fewer police officers on our streets. Going forward the Chief Constable and I are doing all we can to preserve frontline policing at its current level, including our PCSO’s who are fundamental to neighbourhood policing, and a crucial asset in local intelligence gathering to counter terrorism. London and Manchester represent a profound moment in policing and security, which requires us to reflect on what needs doing to keep local people safe particularly across the counter terrorism strategy.

Long term solutions to these challenges can only be found by having strong and responsive neighbourhood policing but it is also important that additional funding is available for firearms officers as well as capital investment to continue to transform policing to meet the changing threat. This is something the Chief Constable and I will be working on with our local MPs, the Home Office and national organisations over the coming weeks.

During such adversity we really do see the best of people and I take heart from those communities who pull together. Whether that is the countless people who donated items in London or local residents who are supporting the Big Lunch this weekend, in memory of murdered MP Jo Cox.

I never thought I would be writing a second open letter with the Chief Constable to our communities about another terror attack so soon after Westminster. Like you I’ve been absolutely shocked, appalled and disgusted by the act of evil that was inflicted on young children, their parents and their grandparents. My thoughts are with the friends and families of those killed or injured.

In such adversity I’ve taken strength, like I’m sure you have, from our country’s response. In Manchester we saw local people provide lifts, shelter and simple acts of kindness to victims in shock at the events they’d seen unfold. On each occasion we saw heroes and heroines from all walks of life come to the aid of people when they most needed it. It’s that spirit that holds us together and unites us against those who try to divide us and we should be very proud of that.

The Chief Constable has already said there are no specific threats to the South West at this stage. Local people’s safety is mine and the Chief Constable’s top priority. In Bristol you will see extra officers in your local area and all through the Bank Holiday weekend. They are there to be visible and to provide reassurance at this difficult time. I would urge all local people to be alert, but not alarmed. I would also encourage you to stop and speak to our police officers and PCSOs, they are working extra hours to keep us all safe and I know they will appreciate your support.

Last week we were able to recognise just some of the men, women and young people within Avon and Somerset Constabulary who go the extra mile for victims and residents and do all they can to ensure we are safe and bring offenders to justice. It was a wonderful evening where we heard exactly how much the many Bristol schools police officers mean to their pupils, teachers and parents. As well as the dedication, care and compassion for which PC Tina Newman has shown to sex workers in Bristol.  We also heard about the Somerset-based Operation Hazel team, who are working hard to tackle county lines activity.  County lines is the term given to activity involving organised drug gangs from major cities targeting vulnerable drug users across the country. To date the team have executed 75 search warrants and have arrested 93 people.

Are you surviving or thriving?  An important thought for all of us and the theme for this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week (8-14 May).   According to a report commissioned by the Mental Health Foundation in March 2017, nearly two-thirds of people say that they have experienced a mental health problem.  This rises to seven in every 10 women; young adults aged 18-34 and people living alone.  Good mental health is more than the absence of a mental health problem.  I believe we could all do more to encourage people to speak out about mental health and raise awareness of this illness that affects so many.

I began this week attending the swearing-in ceremony of our new West of England Combined Authority Mayor, Tim Bowles.  As your elected Police and Crime Commissioner, I can empathise with running for a position of such magnitude and responsibility.  I look forward to working with him, as I do with all our local authorities, to ensure we are achieving the very best for the local people of Avon and Somerset.  I know that Tim has big plans with regards to homes, transport, businesses and jobs within the patch amongst other areas of focus and I wish him well in his new role.

Welcoming in the next generation of policing also featured in several events I have attended this week, including meeting the latest candidates joining the national Police Now Graduate Leadership Programme.  The scheme looks recruits graduates into policing looking to make them leaders in neighbourhood policing.  It’s vital our policing service has the right people and right culture and Police Now is our response to that challenge; helping to transform communities, reduce crime and increase local people’s confidence in policing.  

The Citizen’s Academy is another initiative designed to give local people a better insight into policing.  Following a successful pilot in Bristol involving 29 participants, the Constabulary have once again opened its doors for the next 10-week insight academy.  Throughout the programme, participants will take part in ride-alongs with local neighbourhood policing teams, find out more about the different police roles such as forensic investigations and firearms and learn about the different challenges faced by officers and staff on a daily basis.  The Academy will also explore the invaluable voluntary roles that are available.

Did you know that this week is National Stalking Awareness Week?   Stalking is unacceptable and it is a criminal offence.  The week has been established by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust in a bid to dispel the myths associated with stalking and to encourage victims to seek help if they recognise the signs.  Reports of stalking and harassment in Avon and Somerset have increased by about 52% in the last year.  It is thought this is down to increased reporting after legislation changes, which saw two new specific criminal offences, come into force in 2015, providing better protection for victims.   The Constabulary have also increased the training for officers to be able to better identify the signs of stalking.

Stalking can include any persistent and unwanted behaviour that causes anxiety or fear. The behaviour of the offender is obsessive and can take the form of social media, texting, calling, sending unwanted gifts or a mixture of these and other actions.  Raising awareness of this crime is essential in encouraging people to come forward and seek help from the police or other agencies.  The impact of stalking on victims and their families can be devastating and I would urge anyone affected by this crime not to suffer in silence.  Please tell someone. If you have concerns or have concerns that someone you know is a victim of stalking you can contact the Suzy Lamplugh Trust’s helpline on 0808 802 0300.

Recommended speed limits are there for our protection – they are limits, not targets. This week saw the introduction of increased fines for those people who drive at excessive speeds.  If you are caught driving at speeds in at or in excess of 41mph in a 20mph zone, or 101mph on a motorway, new guidelines state that magistrates will be able to increase the fine by up to 175% of your weekly income.  I would like to take this one step further and see those caught reckless driving having to re-take their test.  Sadly, too many people still think it is acceptable to break the speed limit when driving.  If only they were more aware that excessive speed is a critical factor in many road traffic collisions.

Motorists who exceed speed limits are not only increasing their chances of being involved in a collision but they are also often risking lives, their own as well as others.  When someone is killed or seriously injured by a speeding driver, not only do these collisions have a life-long impact on the lives of victims, but also on their friends and families. Local people want to feel safe on our roads and I welcome any initiatives that make our roads a safer place for all those who use them.  Road users who lawfully abide and respect the rules of the roads will be unaffected by these cost rises.

This week began on a more sombre note as I joined people across the country, and even the world to pay my respects to PC Keith Palmer.  On March 22, PC Palmer like all our police officers and staff said goodbye to his family and went to work unware that that day he would pay the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.  The Westminster attack sent shockwaves across the world and Keith’s heroic actions will never be forgotten.  He gave his life to protect our freedom and democracy.

On Wednesday, April 18 I will be joining Chief Constable Andy Marsh for our first annual lecture series as part of the Bristol Festival of Ideas; exploring the subject of breaking the cycle of crime and punishment. Over 80,000 people are in prison in the UK and almost half of all prisoners re-offend within a year of leaving.  I believe the purpose of every prison should be that each prisoner released is less likely to commit offences when they come out.  I believe we should be doing all we can to ensure that people do not go back to prison.

As a magistrate for 15 years and on the board of Bristol Prison, all too often I have heard and seen things I feel we must be able to influence and change for the better.  How can it be crime levels are falling, yet more crime is being committed by the same people?  What more could we be doing to support people with mental health issues, substance addictions and homelessness, ensuring there is a choice away from a life of crime?  How do we stop individuals being recycled through the criminal justice system, the courts, the prisons?

These are just some of the questions we’ll be discussing and if you would like to come along to this free event and join in the conversation you can get tickets at www.ideasfestival.co.uk/events/can-break-cycle-crime-punishment/. As part of the event I’m incredibly excited that we will also be joined by renowned poet Mr Gee and Second Step’s Chief Executive Aileen Edwards as guest panellists and Life Cycle Bristol who will be making a special appearance. I am truly grateful for their support.

Changing our perceptions and giving people the opportunity to take a different path is a big part of breaking the cycle of crime.  It’s also the idea behind an approach we have decided to take in Bristol, where people who have been caught in possession of drugs, including class A drugs, are being invited onto an education programme rather than immediately criminalising them.  The Bristol Education Programme pilot, run with Swanswell, is giving people the chance to change their behaviour.

When the producers of Broadchurch approached Rape Crisis England and Wales to advise them on the series, we were able to help ensure the show’s creators were prepared for the effect the storyline would have on survivors.

The considerable effort they have put into portraying the trauma of sexual assault sensitively and accurately is hugely welcome. Broadchurch, along with the likes of the BBC’s Apple Tree Yard, is helping to make significant strides in dispelling the myths and stereotypes around sexual violence.

The visibility of sexual violence in the media has a significant effect: it is a key reason why more and more survivors are speaking out. At the rape crisis organisation where I work, Somerset and Avon Rape and Sexual Assault Support (SARSAS), we have seen an increase of 284% in service demand since 2013. In particular, many survivors of historic abuse have been motivated to come forward after the reporting of the crimes of celebrities including Jimmy Savile and Rolf Harris. Indeed, 80% of our calls relate to “non-recent” abuse – defined as abuse that took place more than 12 months ago.

The rise we’ve seen is in line with the dramatic increases reported by Rape Crisis centres nationwide. In March 2016, for instance, Rape Crisis England and Wales reported that there were more than 4,000 survivors on their waiting lists.

This has a huge impact on survivors. Without immediate help we know people have to continue to cope in whatever way they can – whether that’s through self-medication, overwork or raging against a system that has failed them.

For many of the people who call us to talk about historical abuse, it may be that a significant event has triggered long-repressed memories; the death of the perpetrator, for example, or the birth of their own child. Some of our younger callers are GCSE students who come to us for support, and who are dealing with intrusive thoughts and anxiety that make it impossible to revise. For these people, their experiences are as raw and immediate as if they had occurred yesterday.

At SARSAS, we have tried-and-tested services that form the core of the support we offer. But each survivor is different, and we need to be able to respond to their individual needs. Group work, psychotherapy, cognitive behavioural therapy and somatic trauma therapy should all be on offer. Recovering from sexual violence doesn’t happen in a straight line, and so our pathways must be equally flexible and responsive.

In our experience, in some areas as many as 50% of those who are referred to us, or who enquire themselves, drop out of the process. This is unacceptable, and unsurprising. Faced with lengthy waiting times, many survivors retreat and choose not to ask for help again, instead facing their trauma alone and unsupported.

Inevitably, for staff at Rape Crisis centres, anxiety about the number of people contacting us – people who desperately need help – can hit us hard. When we pick up the phone, we know that we might be the only person to have heard our caller’s story. Often, it will take a few calls for them to talk at all – most of us at SARSAS have spent hours reassuring survivors as they cry down the phone, allowing them the time and space to get those first words out.

To then have to tell them about the waiting lists and limitations on our services; knowing the courage it has taken them to come forward in the first place, is heart-breaking.

The truth is that some of the most vulnerable people in society are not able to access the support and therapy that we know would help them cope with their lives in the coming weeks and years. Those who have the means can access support privately, while others must wait up to a year to get the help they need.

The fact is that the impact of sexual violence should be seen and owned as a public health issue. In our experience, many survivors do not want to report what has happened to them, as is their right. To see sexual violence as a purely criminal justice issue is therefore short-sighted and simplistic. It is a community and equality issue that not only has a long-term impact on the individual survivor, as a result of effects including depression and anxiety, but also on the people who surround them.

Sexual violence can push relationships to breaking point, even if a survivor is believed. Guilt, shame and anger can cloud judgment and have a serious impact on the survivor if the people they rely on are unable to process their feelings and prejudices. The help that we provide will only go so far, which is why we created self-help guides for those close to survivors. Rape and sexual assault sends out a shockwave that touches everyone in a survivor’s life. To pretend otherwise is to push them back into the dark and away from those who could support them.

Early analysis of our referrals in the last year shows that the majority were from those under the age of 25. We owe it to our young people to provide them with the educational and social tools they need to have healthy relationships, connect positively with others and recognise abuse and criminal behaviour.

It always sounds strange, but the increase in referrals is a very positive thing. It means more survivors are reaching out and seeking the help they need. However, if funding continues to fall short, Rape Crisis centres will remain increasingly stretched and waiting lists unacceptably long. Ministry of Justice figures have indicated that one in five women in Somerset and Avon will experience some kind of sexual violence in their lifetime – we believe that statistic is barely scratching the surface. When those as-yet silent survivors are ready to talk, we want to be there to listen, believe and support them.

Rowan Miller

Director of SARSAS

• Find out more about SARSAS by visiting www.sarsas.org.uk/