Dedicated to protecting families from violence

Family violence cases in Central District are now being reviewed by dedicated area coordinators to ensure that appropriate intervention has taken place to reduce further risks to victims.

Historically nominated officers from around the District have held the portfolio of family violence along with other work, but since 2008 there has been a move towards dedicated full-time roles, with five now in place.

Central District Family Violence Coordinator Maree Rooney-Duindam said: "The move is part of our increasing commitment to family violence and our determination to make sure there are no pieces of the jigsaw puzzle missing that will leave victims exposed to risk or to becoming repeat victims.

"The more we raise awareness of the issues the more cases we are likely to have reported. Attending the crimes is not enough in itself; it is about how effective we are in following up on those cases."

The dedicated coordinators will be responsible for reviewing the initial action and investigation of family violence incidents in their areas, carrying out risk assessments, and making sure all the necessary evidence has been gathered so that there is the best chance of successful convictions in cases where criminal prosecution is appropriate. They will also be responsible for developing and implementing training packages for police staff and the community.

Working in partnership with statutory agencies, and other groups such as Women's Refuge and Victim Support, is also key to the process. Coordinators meet regularly with these agencies to discuss family violence referrals, high risk families and repeat cases.

Information and expertise is shared to ensure that each case is effectively managed, and actions and interventions tailored to each family are put in place. Processes will be routinely evaluated so that there is continual improvement.

Mrs Rooney-Duindam said: "It's not simply about dealing with the offence at hand, it is about identifying what caused the violence in the first place, whether there are ongoing patterns of behaviour that are likely to lead to repeat offences. To do this we have to have a common understanding of the powers, responsibilities and limitations of each of the agencies that can influence the process and we need a shared commitment to make a real difference."

Dedicated roles currently in place are:

New Plymouth - Detective Sergeant David Beattie
Taranaki Rural - Sergeant Phil Taikato
Whanganui - Detective Sergeant Phil Taylor
Ruapehu - Family Violence Coordinator Gabe Quirke
Palmerston North - Detective Sergeant Dave Wishnowsky

Due to the large geographical spread of Palmerston North Rural there are currently five portfolio holders in Levin, Feilding, Dannevirke, Otaki and Foxton.

ENDS

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