Alison Hernandez: Stamping out violence against women

It remains my ongoing mission to do everything within my powers to help tackle violence against women and young girls (VAWG) and I would like to share with you some of the ways that is starting to be achieved. 

The time has come to call upon men to step up and help be part of how we reduce the unacceptable reality that is causing women and young girls to live in fear for their safety or having to cope with the traumatic consequences of harassment or sexual or physical violence. 

I made the plea during a recent meeting of the Police and Crime Panel which supports and challenges both myself and my office in carrying out its functions. While I was pleased to be able to tell members about many positive improvements within Devon & Cornwall Policing in areas including performance, the recording of crime and leadership, latest force statistics disappointingly show the number of reported crimes is continuing to rise. 

This includes violence across the board, but also directly against women and young girls. The solution isn't simply ensuring perpetrators are prosecuted, it is about reducing the number of victims and making people feel safe again at home, on our streets and wherever they choose to visit. 

Collectively, we all need to do much more to achieve this and I believe any VAWG strategy should be clearly focused on the perpetrators. We need to stop expecting victims to carry the burden and change their behaviour. 

In July, I hosted a groundbreaking one-day disruptive workshop in Exeter, inviting around 100 frontline professionals to contribute radical ideas aimed at disrupting VAWG. The workshop engaged a broad coalition of stakeholders, including police officers, council representatives, charities, victim services and policy makers. 

Many ideas have been captured and are being evaluated by my office to be translated into actionable interventions alongside identifying opportunities for scaling across the region.  

A month-long survey was also shared publicly by my office to maximise the opportunity to collate radical ideas and engage the voice of communities in this work.  

A follow-up meeting is being planned this autumn to further engage with partners to help link them up to funding opportunities and start developing the most transformative ideas to create much-needed change. 

It is important to remember that although nearly all women that will be a victim of VAWG in some shape or form - whether it's harassment in the street or a club to abuse in the home - there are thankfully many men in our society who are upstanding citizens and positive role models who also want to bring an end to VAWG. 

One of the many worthy charities I provide funding for is A Band of Brothers which works with young men who are at risk of offending. It provides weekly one-on-one mentoring sessions for men aged 18 to 25 who have had traumatic childhoods that have led to then being involved in the criminal justice system or put them at increased risk of doing so. 

Those sessions help to make well-rounded individuals who may have never had good role models in their lives and they are taught how to develop good and healthy relationships, including with current or future partners. 

It is also positive to hear about the excellent amount of work that is taking place in schools and youth groups to ensure youngsters are provided with good role models to challenge what they often see portrayed online and on social media platforms. 

I am also reassured by Devon & Cornwall Police’s efforts to tackle the VAWG epidemic, the most recent being the launch of its Project Nighteye campaign which is targeting male sexual predators and behaviours of concern. The campaign is encouraging both the public and partners to report behaviours of concern to police and help to make public spaces safer.  

There are still many difficult conversations that need to be had around VAWG, and let us all be under no illusion that there is a long journey ahead of us. But I am confident change can happen if we are bold, decisive and unrelenting in collaborative efforts to say enough is enough.