Domestic violence
Calling the police
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There are only two numbers you need to know to contact the police in Lancashire:
- 0845 1 25 35 45 for all non-emergencies
- 999 when there is danger to life or a crime in progress
You can also find out the details of the officers assigned to your neighbourhood by entering your street name or postcode on the Police's My Area page.
If the incident is happening at that time, violence or the threat of violence has been used then it will be graded as an Emergency Response. This includes situations where the perpetrator has left the house, but may well return. The Emergency Response states that the police must attend all Grade 1 Emergencies within 15 minutes of receiving the telephone call. If the Domestic Violence is not ongoing then it is still considered high priority as the victim is a vulnerable person. It will be given a Grade 2, which means that their target is to attend within 1 hour maximum.
Initially a uniformed Police Officer from the local area will attend. All Officers have received specific training to deal with DV incidents and the policy is clear. The priority is the safety of the victim and any children. The matter will be dealt with there and then. If a crime has been committed then a crime report will be submitted by the officer along with a DV Report. These will go to the Public Protection Unit, who depending on the circumstances may well contact the victim and offer various forms of support through the Criminal Justice System and then assist with inter agency support.
There is a positive action policy which dictates that if a power of arrest exists then it should be used. Once in the Custody Office, there is a robust system in place to prevent people being released without any further action taking place i.e. Caution, Charging etc.
If the police do not make an arrest then they ensure the safety of the victim. This clearly means that the victim and perpetrator should not be left together. The best way to ensure that the perpetrator does not return to the home is by arrest.