Police test tackles home violence
High incidence of family harm in Bay spurs new approach
If we change the behaviour of one person it is worth it. We want people to be safe. Senior Sergeant Greg Brown
Hawke’s Bay police are trialling a new style of Police Safety Order test (PSO) in response to the region’s grim family harm statistics. According to Hawke’s Bay police, the region continues to have the highest rate of family harm incidents per 10,000 population in New Zealand.
This year police are still attending an average of 20 family harm incidents a day.
Hawke’s Bay police Senior Sergeant
Greg Brown says it’s a “very high number” and in response the region’s family harm team has initiated a test for those given a PSO, which puts the spotlight on the perpetrator/aggressor.
At this stage the test is voluntary because a law change that makes it mandatory won’t come into effect until July, but about 10 of the 140 people given a PSO in Hawke’s Bay since February had agreed to take it, he said.
The purpose of a PSO is to protect at-risk people from violence, harassment or intimidation and give a victim of abuse time to get support or a protection order.
It is issued when police have reasonable grounds to believe family violence has occurred or may occur.
When the law changes a PSO will last for up to 10 days, double the current five, and police will be able to mandate programmes where the perpetrator will have to make contact with agencies to change their behaviour.
Brown said the test was about working with the families and collaborating with different agencies such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Problem Gambling to provide help and working on people being safe.
After the aggressor agrees to the test, social workers and other support people talk to them about what is required to help them make change.
Brown said the problem in Hawke’s Bay was inter-generational, and largely dominated by males.
He said the problem in high-risk families would not disappear overnight, but initiative needed to be taken to engage and earn trust.
“If we change the behaviour of one person it is worth it. We want people to be safe, to reach out to us.”