FAQs

Violence

• What is the Commissioner doing to address violence?

  This is a major area of focus for the Commissioner, who has prioritised tackling violence for her term of office. Violence is one of the key priority areas within her Police and Crime Plan. The plan sets out a series of key strategic ambitions with a particular focus on preventing serious violence and on tackling violence against women and girls.  

  Working with the Chief Constable, the Commissioner has established the £4m Serious Violence Prevention Programme which adopts a public-health approach to tackling violence. The programme seeks to break the cycle of violence by focusing on people under the age of 25 years old who are at risk of getting drawn into violence.  

  Alongside this, the Commissioner continues to invest in both victim and perpetrator programmes to prevent future crimes and ensure that the needs of victims are understood and met. As Chair of the Local Criminal Justice Board, the Commissioner is also focused on securing improvements across the criminal justice system to bring more offenders to justice, provide meaningful rehabilitation of offenders and support victims throughout their journey. 

  The actions being taken under the Police and Crime Plan are regularly reported to the Police and Crime Panel.

• What is the Commissioner doing to tackle violence against women and girls (including domestic abuse and sexual violence)?

  The Commissioner is taking a range of actions under the Police and Crime Plan to tackle violence against women and girls in Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. This includes holding the Chief Constable to account for the performance of Devon & Cornwall Police in preventing and investigating these crimes and for the quality of the services it provides to victims.

  The Commissioner is also taking a range of specific actions through the work of the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner which includes: 

  • Supporting victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence through commissioning high-quality support services
  • Funding programmes which seek to address perpetrator behaviours which seek to break the cycle of offending and prevent further harm
  • Developing and funding the Disrupt programme of work which challenges entrenched norms, systems and power structures that perpetuate gender-based violence, questioning traditional models of intervention and service delivery by:
    • Shifting focus from response (crisis services) to prevention, (education, cultural change)
    • Testing out new methods, approaches and tools to provoke change
    • Leading on digital campaigns that shift public narratives about consent and accountability
• How is the Commissioner supporting victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence?

  The Commissioner is committed to ensuring that victims and survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence can access high-quality support services wherever they live in Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

  The Commissioner invests in a wide range of specialist services that provide practical support, advocacy, recovery interventions and therapeutic support to help victims recover from their experiences and rebuild their lives.

  Supporting victims of sexual violence

  The Commissioner has worked with local authorities, NHS partners and specialist providers to develop a new joint commissioning model for sexual violence services across Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. This represents a significant redesign of support services, aimed at improving victim journeys and ensuring more consistent access to specialist support across the peninsula.

  As part of this work, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner led the procurement of four new specialist Sexual Violence and Abuse Support Services contracts covering Cornwall, Plymouth, Devon and Torbay. The contracts commenced on 1 February 2026 and run until 31 January 2031, delivering a consistent local offer of specialist support, counselling and therapy, support for children, young people and adults affected by childhood sexual abuse and sexual violence, and improved pathways into wider health, mental health and domestic abuse services. The new model includes dedicated support for children and young people, including trauma stabilisation, parent and carer support, and evidence-based therapeutic interventions to help them recover from the impact of abuse.

  Alongside this, the Commissioner funds a dedicated Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) Service. ISVAs provide practical and emotional support, help victims understand their options, liaise with police and criminal justice agencies, advocate on behalf of victims and support individuals throughout their recovery journey. Support is available regardless of whether a victim chooses to report an offence to the police.

  The Commissioner also supports victims through investment in the Devon and Cornwall Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC). The SARC provides specialist support to people who have experienced rape or sexual assault, including crisis support, forensic services, healthcare and onward referrals into counselling, advocacy and longer-term recovery services.

  Supporting victims of domestic abuse

  The Commissioner funds a network of Independent Domestic Violence Advisers (IDVAs) across Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly to provide specialist support to victims at the highest risk of harm from domestic abuse. IDVAs work closely with victims to improve safety, reduce risk, navigate criminal justice and safeguarding processes, and access housing, health and other support services. They play a vital role in helping victims and their families recover from the impact of abuse and build safer futures.

  The Commissioner also works closely with local authority and health partners to support and strengthen specialist domestic abuse services across the peninsula. This includes investment in the Devon Domestic Abuse Service (DDAS), Safer Futures Cornwall, Torbay Domestic Abuse Service (TDAS) and The Integrated Domestic Abuse Service Plymouth (IDASP), helping to ensure victims can access specialist advice, advocacy, safety planning, recovery support and onward referrals regardless of where they live.

  Supporting victims and survivor’s remains a key part of the Commissioner’s commitment to tackling violence against women and girls and ensuring that people affected by domestic abuse and sexual violence receive the right support at the right time.

• How is the Commissioner working to address perpetrator behaviour and prevent reoffending?

  The Commissioner’s work to tackle perpetrator behaviours is focused on domestic abuse and sexual offending and commissions a number of bespoke services that work with sexual offence perpetrators. 

  Since 2015 the Commissioner has funded Circles SW to work with those individuals considered most at risk of reoffending. Circles SW provides an internationally acclaimed community approach to work with sex offenders by creating a team (circle) of community members who support and challenge the referred individual as they move post-conviction to being reintegrated into society.

  In 2022-23 the Commissioner engaged the SW Community Chaplaincy service to work with sex offenders who no longer fall under the auspices of the National Probation Service. This is a mentoring service which provides practical help, as well as behavioural challenge to these individuals, who are referred directly by Devon & Cornwall Police.

  In May 2025, the Commissioner funded Hampton Trust to deliver a new early intervention service for perpetrators of domestic abuse to reduce the future harm to victims and children. Perpetrators of ‘standard risk’ domestic abuse can be ordered by the police to attend victim focused workshops to enable them to understand the consequences of their actions and how to change their behaviour.

  The Commissioner also funds CASS+ who provide practical advice, support, and advocacy for people involved in the justice system, particularly those who may be vulnerable, in crisis, or unable to access legal aid. Their aim is to improve individual wellbeing, reduce re-offending, and help create safer communities.

• What is the StreetSafe tool and how can I use it?

  StreetSafe is a new national initiative launched by the police which allows a person to provide feedback to the police (and partners) on areas where they feel unsafe within their community.   

  The tool can be accessed at StreetSafe.  It allows you to comment on where you feel unsafe and the reasons why you might feel unsafe e.g. poor lighting, drug litter, harassment or intimidation.   

  This local information is then available to local policing teams who can use this data to have discussions with the local authority and other partners about safety in the local area.  

• I am a victim of violence - how can I report to police?

  Phone 999 immediately if immediate action is required to save lives, stop injury or catch criminals. 

  101 non-emergency can be used for reporting a non-urgent crime, access to support services or to make an appointment. 101 services can now be accessed via calling 101, or through the webchat function.  

  Alternatively you can report a crime online or by visiting your local police station front desk. 

  To stay 100% anonymous, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers viatheir website or call Freephone 0800 555 111. 

  In an emergency always use 999.  

• I am a victim of violence - how can I access support?

  To access victim support, please find relevant information at Victim Care Devon and Cornwall or call the Victim Care Unit at: 01392 475900 

  Under the Victims Code of Practice (introduced under the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004) victims of crime are entitled to a certain level of service support provided by all Criminal Justice Agencies. Details of your rights under the Victim Code can be found on our Victim Care website. 

  Accessing support is not dependent on whether a victim has reported the incident to relevant authorities. However, reports help us improve intelligence around drug activity across the peninsula.  

  To report information to the police, please visit Devon & Cornwall Police’s website or call 101. 

  If someone is in danger or immediate action is required to save lives, stop injury or catch criminals call 999 immediately.  

  Please phone 999 immediately if immediate action is required to save lives, stop injury or catch criminals.