Gloucestershire Police and OPCC continue to prioritise VAWG following government strategy

How we’re keeping women and girls safe in Gloucestershire

Tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a priority for both Gloucestershire Constabulary and its Police and Crime Commissioner.

Last week, (Thursday 18 December), the government launched its strategy to halve the number of VAWG offences nationwide within a decade.

The strategy has three goals – to prevent boys and men from ever becoming abusers in the first place; to ensure perpetrators who have offended do not do so again; and to support victims so that they get justice when they seek it, and the closure that they deserve.   

We welcome this continuing focus on tackling the root causes of VAWG, pursuing first time and repeat perpetrators and supporting victims.

In Gloucestershire, we have a number of initiatives in place to help to keep women and girls throughout our county safe and bring perpetrators to justice.

Dedicated Rape and Sexual Offences Team

The Constabulary has had a dedicated Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) team since 2014. In this time, the team have secured numerous convictions against dangerous offenders of sexual offences.

The team, which consist of 28 officers and one police staff member, focuses on the actions of the perpetrator while supporting the needs of the victim.

We recognise that a criminal justice outcome is not right for everyone and the team works closely with commissioned partners including the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) and First Light our independent sexual violence advisor service, to ensure victims and survivors receive the support they need.

You can find out more information about First Light by visiting: https://www.firstlight.org.uk/online-support/gloucestershire-independent-sexual-violence-advisor-isva-service/

Proactive operations

For the past 15 months we’ve also been deploying plain clothed officers throughout our county as part of campaign to target predatory behaviour in the night-time economy.  

Officers involved in Project Vigilant have received behavioural observation training to enable them to identify specific predatory behaviours which someone may display prior to committing a sexual offence.

Police forces taking part in Project Vigilant was one of the key recommendations from the Angiolini inquiry and we have recently received new funding from the Home Office to increase our patrols.

More information on our operation here in Gloucestershire can by visiting: https://www.gloucestershire.police.uk/news/gloucestershire/2024/september/project-vigilant-piloted-in-cheltenham-to-target-predatory-behaviour/

Our officers also work with the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit to identify and apprehend criminals attempting to groom and abuse vulnerable children online.

Teenage relationship abuse research

We’re working with City St George, University of London to build our understanding of teenage relationship abuse and are now recording the number of reports of RASSO offences and strangulation offences committed by under 16s against under 16s.

We’re also leading nationally in this space, surveying what other police forces' and partner agencies across Gloucestershire understand of teenage relationship abuse, collating best practice and carrying out roundtable events with subject matter experts to explore what more could be done in the future to support teenagers who have an abusive partner.

Specialist training

In 2023, we made it mandatory for all those working on the frontline to receive specialised training which teaches them how to spot patterns of domestic abuse, learn how to understand perpetrators and recognise the tactics they may use such as controlling and coercive behaviour.

To date, The Domestic Abuse Matters course, delivered by UK charity SafeLives on behalf of the College of Policing, this has been delivered to more than 1,400 officers and staff.

Specialist ‘Voice of the Child’ training has also been commissioned for more than 600 officers. This will provide officers with the tools to support them in engaging with children in the most appropriate way.

Focused communications

The Words Matter guidelines were developed by Gloucestershire Constabulary, the Gloucestershire OPCC, and feminist not-for-profit This Ends Now to reshape how police communicators report on male violence against women and girls.

The aim of the guidelines is to eliminate victim-blaming and misogynistic language, shifting the narrative to clearly assign responsibility to perpetrators by using active, crime-specific framing.

In 2024 the Constabulary and the OPCC also ran a public awareness campaign highlighting what constitutes stalking behaviours and encouraging victims to come forward.

Victim centred services

In March, the Constabulary launched Rapid Video Response – a victim-focused approach to taking reports of domestic abuse which allows victims to provide information of a crime to an officer through a video call from a location of their choice.

Since 2015, the OPCC has managed Ministry of Justice (MoJ) funding and commissions a range of victim support services aimed at helping individuals cope and recover.

These programmes include Victim Support; Independent Sexual Violence Advisors; Independent Stalking Advocacy Caseworkers; the SARC; and Domestic Abuse services (co-commissioned with the County Council).

Recently, the OPCC secured £2.7 million in MoJ funding for core victims’ services to reinforce and sustain support across 2026–2028.

VAWG Consultation Officer

Gloucestershire’s Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (DASV) Consultation Officer, jointly funded by the OPCC and Gloucestershire County Council, ensures the authentic voices of survivors and their communities inform local strategies and service delivery.

The role involves extensive outreach to diverse groups, translating lived experiences into policy recommendations, and working with partners to implement survivor-led improvements across the county.

Our VAWG team is unique to Gloucestershire and highly effective at ensuring the voice of victim/survivors is not just heard but implemented.

Deputy Chief Constable Katy Barrow-Grint said: “Tackling violence against women and girls has been a priority for the Constabulary for many years and this is evident in the many different ways in which we’re ensuring perpetrators are identified, apprehended and prosecuted, and how we’re supporting victims and survivors.

“I welcome and support the measures included in the government’s strategy which recognises everyone has a role to play in ending what is an epidemic of abuse.

“We, the police, will always be there to respond to reports of abuse but VAWG is a societal problem which requires professionals from all sectors to work together alongside the public to keep women and girls safe.”

Police and Crime Commissioner for Gloucestershire, Chris Nelson, said: “Male violence against women and girls is one of the most pressing challenges facing our communities. And tackling it has been one of my top priorities, ever since I was first elected in 2021.

“The Government’s long awaited and much needed VAWG strategy will hopefully strengthen our collective response, as these crimes are not just a matter for the police, it needs society to work together to ensure prevention, protection, and accountability for perpetrators.

“In Gloucestershire, we are committed to working with partners and listening to survivors so that every woman and girl can live free from fear and harm. I am proud of the meaningful, tangible and comprehensive work of my office in this space. We have a dedicated team to tackle male violence, we have brought millions of pounds into the county to support victims locally, and have made tackling these crimes a top priority in my Police and Crime Prevention Plan.”