General News
4 June, 2024
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: TOO CLOSE TO HOME DV training extends across the division
May is Family Violence Awareness month, but for our local police it isn’t just a “now” topic.
Family violence awareness is something that has been ongoing within the organisation for a long time and continues to develop and grow as they continue to ensure all frontline workers are better equipped to deal with reports of domestic violence.
Having worked in Division Four for 14 years, Senior Sergeant Simone Field has built relationships with many local services such as The Orange Door, which are a vital part of her role as Victoria Police Western Region Division Four family violence training officer.
“We do all of the family violence training within the division,” Sen Sgt Field said.
“All of our recruits do a couple of weeks of extensive family violence training at the academy but those who aren’t promoted or specialised don’t go back to the academy for training so our job is to bring that training to them.”
Sen Sgt Field said it was not just the larger 24-hour stations that were benefitting from her training packages.
“I travel to all the police stations,” she said.
“I will go to Hopetoun and deliver a session to one person if that's what I need to do to reach everyone.
“It’s about making sure everyone has the opportunity to do family violence training, keep their skills up, and making sure they're doing the most current training that aligns with our ever-changing policy and practice.”
Sen Sgt Field said her role - one of more than 20 in the state recommended by the Royal Commission - also involved identifying themes and trends in family violence and recognising how those trends could differ from region to region.
Being the conduit between police and aid services was another part of her role.
This communication with other frontline workers and services has been vital in helping policymakers to identify the loopholes that needed to be closed in current procedures.
“We are aware now of coercive control - all of those behaviours that are controlling,” she said.
"They were always there but weren’t crimes as such and we didn’t have the assessment tools to identify them.
“The Family Violence Protection Act tells us we have to establish family violence has occurred or it is on the balance of probabilities that an order is needed to protect a person or their property.
“There are hurdles we have to get over and it helps if we are asking the right questions every time - comparing apples with apples - and then allowing the answers to determine the risks and vulnerabilities using our risk assessment tools.
“Hopefully we are taking away any possible bias by letting their answers, and what they want, drive what action police will take.”
Sen Sgt Field also keeps aid services updated with policy changes and said one example of the positive policy changes was that an affected family member could now make recorded statements on a police officer’s body-worn camera without having to attend the police station.