Cuts in police training could hamper domestic violence progress

The Police Federation is urging the Government not to make
cutbacks in training police recruits to deal with domestic
violence, writes Shirley Kumar.

Speaking at the Federation’s conference in Bournemouth on
Tuesday, chairman Jan Berry, said: “The Government’s
slashing of police training from 15 weeks to 12 undermines any
attempts to improve the system.”

Training is also at risk of being lost because it is not compulsory
and will be left to regional police departments to implement. The
Federation believes the move contradicts the Domestic Violence,
Crime and Victims Bill where training for police is crucial to
reduce domestic violence cases.

Domestic violence accounts for a quarter of all violent crime,
according to findings from the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and
HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorates report 2004.