Last week, the Home Office announced that all 43 territorial police forces across England and Wales and the 14 Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Areas will begin implementing a transformative new approach to rape investigations and prosecutions, improving support for victims and putting the focus on the suspect.
This comes after the huge success of a 2021 pilot scheme initially launched in Avon and Somerset Police and subsequently, a further 18 forces.
The programme, known as Operation Soteria, brings together police forces and prosecutors with academics to use evidence and insight to change the way rape and sexual offences are dealt with.
Working closely with Avon and Somerset Police and other police forces, leading academics have developed two new National Operating Models; one for the investigation of rape and one for the prosecution of rape. All police forces and CPS Areas in England and Wales have committed to implementing them, ensuring there is a victim-centred, suspect-focused and context-led approach.
The rolling out of the initiative, and the successful delivery of it in Avon and Somerset, is a huge step forward in how these types of crimes are investigated. It is great to see all forces across the country signed up to Op Soteria. However, there is plenty more work to be done to improve outcomes for victims and strengthen the policing response to rape and serious sexual offences.
Next, I would like to take this opportunity to highlight the devastating effects of courier fraud. This type of fraud occurs when fraudsters contact victims by telephone pretending to be a person in a position of authority such as a police officer or bank official.
Victims are asked to cooperate in an ‘investigation’ by attending their bank and withdrawing money, foreign currency from an exchange or purchasing an expensive item to hand over to a courier for examination who will also be part of the scam.
At the time of handover, unsuspecting victims are promised that the money they’ve handed over or spent will be reimbursed but, in reality, there is no further contact and the money is never seen again.
Recent data from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau shows that individuals aged 70 or older lost over £12.6 million to courier fraud last year.
I urge family members to be vigilant and educate their loved ones about the risks, including unexpected phone calls, couriers, and visitors. Remember, banks and police will never send couriers to collect cash or personal information and, if targeted, report to Action Fraud and your bank.
Avon and Somerset Police has joined all five police forces and PCCs in the South West and the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU) as part of the region’s ongoing work to target and disrupt organised crime groups harming our communities through drug supply.
Avon and Somerset Police is the top out of all forces for the number of operations focused on drug supply disruptions, and all five police services in our region are in the top 10 and have been for the past two years.
In Avon and Somerset, officers have seized over £3 million worth of cannabis and arrested 20 people in relation to crimes linked to the illegal cultivation of the plant.
This operation continues to go from strength to strength. We collectively continue to make our communities safer by targeting the criminals bringing drugs and violence to our region as well as protecting the vulnerable they seek to exploit as workers or as users of the drugs they supply.
Taking a regional approach really does make a difference; so much so, that the number of county lines in our region is decreasing as criminals are having to change the way they operate. The message is clear, the South West is no place for drugs or drug dealers.