source: WAITS

published: 3 April 2024

Image Credits : WAITS Charity

Women from Global Majority backgrounds who have experienced domestic abuse could soon be pulling on the uniform of the West Midlands Police – and the move has been welcomed by a leading crime expert from Birmingham City University.

Dr Laura Hammond, Director of BCU’s Crime and Society Research Centre, said Global Majority women who have experienced domestic abuse “haven’t been heard or taken into account” and need to be consulted if police are going to effectively tackle the issue.

She added; “We’ve been doing research to understand the experiences of those who are victims of domestic abuse. We’re connecting people with different perspectives, expert knowledge and lived experiences to co-create more effective responses to domestic abuse.”

'February 2024 Conference'

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“By bringing together policymakers and all the services that a woman survivor can access, we can make sure women are supported to heal themselves and go through the criminal justice system"

Dr Hammond is working with WAITS to give survivors a voice and an opportunity to share their experiences, including the barriers they face when attempting to access housing, benefits, police support and legal aid.

At a conference in February, co-hosted by BCU and WAITS, the idea of domestic abuse survivors working for the police was raised, and received a favourable response from Tom McNeil, Assistant Police Crime Commissioner for the West Midlands.

“I am convinced that the police’s response to domestic abuse within our diverse communities would be greatly enhanced through a new era of women joining the police to use their real-life experience of abuse and failings in the system,” he said.

 “I fully commit to helping partners, including WAITS, explore how we embrace novel recruitment partnerships to attract this diverse talent.”

Dr Hammond said the pledge marked “the start of a new era of partnership between the police and domestic abuse survivors”, while Uzma Akhtar, a survivor herself, expressed her delight at the development. “I would like to become one of those officers myself,” she said.

According to Refuge, police receive a domestic abuse-related call every 30 seconds in the UK.

The charity, which supports women and children experiencing domestic violence, also reports that 40% of homeless women state domestic abuse as a contributory factor to their homelessness. 

The conference called Change the System – was supported by Nicole Jacob, Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales, and Labour Councillor Jayne Francis, Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness at Birmingham City Council.

“We’ve brought together survivors, advocates and experts to shine a spotlight on the systematic barriers and create meaningful solutions that we expect these sectors to take on board to engage, support and empower women to survive domestic abuse,” said Deirdre LaBassiere, Chair of WAITS.

Marcia Lewinson, WAITS CEO, added; “In Birmingham, we have issues in lack of housing, legal aid and access to justice, issues with benefits and employment, and the reduction of police officers available to respond to women calling for help, which is one every minute in the city.

“By bringing together policymakers and all the services that a woman survivor can access, we can make sure women are supported to heal themselves and go through the criminal justice system, while meeting the needs of the Department for Work and Pensions.”

Notes to editors:

Issued by Birmingham City University Press Office.

Email: press@bcu.ac.uk