OLDHAM is set to become subject to a ‘game changing’ police power that has helped dozens of domestic violence victims.
Currently, the area is one of only two in the Greater Manchester force in which Domestic Abuse Protection Orders (DAPOs) are not applicable.
They can range from anything from three months to years, even indefinitely, and breaching one can result in a lengthy prison term.
However, the success of what is currently a trial scheme, particularly in neighbouring Tameside since it was introduced in July, means they are likely to come in everywhere.
And Detective Chief Inspector Anna Barker, Tameside’s Vulnerability Lead for Greater Manchester Police (GMP) believes they may come in sooner rather than later.
She said: “There are currently two areas left in Greater Manchester that don’t have DAPOs – Salford and Oldham.
“But they will be coming soon, I would imagine. We’re waiting on a date, but I would imagine it’ll be fairly soon, potentially early next year.
“The results we’re getting and the confidence it’s giving victims and communities to come forward – since the introduction, you can see the massive reduction across the force in DA crime – is significant.
“It helps create more settled communities.”
In Tameside, DCI Barker told of DAPOs’ success.
She added: “Already, 52 have been issued, of which 46 currently live.
“Six have already been served and we’ve got another 20 waiting to be processed through the courts.
“In Tameside, the longest DAPO that’s been issued is for one year and when there are breaches, we’re able to go in arrest.
“For example, we had somebody for an assault for which no further action was being taken. However, we’d put a DAPO in place and he ultimately breached it. That led to 19 months in prison.
“This has been a massive game changer where we can apply to the courts, it’s processed, it gets authorised and it gives that victim some down time as well.
“It gives them a break where they can reflect on what’s been happening to them and we can get that support for them from our local legal service.
“It provides that opportunity for victims to change their lives and it’s given them confidence, because a lot of victims are scared of repercussions if they come forward.
“It helps us as a service to make that decision and get them that help.
“It’s been a real joint approach, in which the local authority has been brilliant, they’ve invested in it as well.
“The impact has been really positive and we’ve launched an operation called Marple, where we have dedicated reassuring teams working with victims.
“We do disruption visits to those perpetrators that have live DAPOs as well.
“It’s a game changer for us.”
Think domestic violence and the stereotypical image is of a husband beating up his wife.
But it can be much more than that. It can be something like coercive behaviour or financial control.
And as DCI Barker told, it is not restricted to spouses or partners. It can apply to anyone from any community with any relationship.
She added: “It doesn’t have to just be physical violence, particularly with coercive control and behaviour. There are different forms of domestic abuse.
“It can be that financial control as well. There are different aspects to it now.
“I don’t think it’s a specific issue, even social media can come into play as well, where partners will be controlling the use and who their victim comes into contact with, or how often they can use the phone.
“And it’s not just intimate relationships in which domestic abuse can form.
“We have quite a number of DAPOs regarding siblings and between parents and children – not kids, but adults.
“There are some between a father and daughter but also the other way around as well, also mother and son, where the son is the perpetrator to the mother.”
Despite not yet being applicable in Oldham, GMP is preparing for the first anniversary of DAPOs coming into action.
And DCI Barker believes they are here to stay, as they also help officers with cases of many different types to deal with.
She told Saddleworth Independent: “DAPOs have provided a blueprint for the future.
“When you look at domestic violence protection orders, which we used to have. They used to last 28 days – and how quickly can 28 days go?
“It’s not enough time for the victim and the family to try and move forward, and it doesn’t give the police a lot of time to try and engage and disrupt the perpetrator.
“Also to allow the perpetrator to get some help as well, because we do have some services that can give them that support.
“They have to be agreeable to it, but that can be one of the conditions where they can go on a behavioural change programme and look at how that progresses.”
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