I was shocked to hear that ACPO, the Association of Chief Police Officers, recommending that any man accused of domestic violence, on more than two occasions, should have his details recorded on a national register.
I am completely opposed to this recommendation.
Don’t get me wrong, I abhor all violence, particularly in the home and especially where there are children involved, however, the obvious faults and manholes in such a recommendation are glaringly obvious.
Where is the recommendation to make the reporting of incidents of domestic violence against women easier? Or the call for more DVU (Domestic Violence Units) in densely populated areas, or even greater availability of key workers - to work with women who don’t have the confidence or wherewithal to report attacks and abuse. Encouraging and enabling them to take the bold step into the unknown of pursuing an arrest and conviction. A step that would be much easier to embark upon with guaranteed support and sympathetic expertise.
Is a register really what is needed?
The room for error, both genuine and vindictive, is huge and in this age of equality, if 40% of all domestic attacks are perpetrated by women against men, will there also be a register for women?
What is really behind this recommendation is pure politics. It’s a good leftie sounding proposal, one the Westminster Ministers will warm to and like; a very ‘Blair Babe’ topic and therefore ‘right on’ with the Government.
Personally, I’d like to see ACPO recommending a crack down on drug pushing on the streets. That every school gate pusher serves a full jail sentence on first time charge once found guilty. Or is that too populist? Too much a policy that will appeal to the people rather than the politicians? And, let’s not forget, one that involves a degree of work and effort.
ACPO have proven beyond doubt their own politicisation by putting forward this recommendation. Maybe next time a Chief Constable thinks of protesting at the proposal to elect Police Commissioners, he or she should think on this.