'˜Don't put up with domestic abuse' says senior South Tyneside cop

Chief Inspector Lisa Hogan urged victims to come forward after it was revealed that the ‘hidden crime’ costs South Tyneside £47million a year.

She said: “No one should have to put up with being abused, whether mentally or physically, by someone they should be able to trust.

“We do a lot of work, alongside our Police and Crime Commissioner and South Tyneside Council to address domestic abuse, and make sure those who are victims have the support they need to help them escape the cycle.

“It can take great courage for victims to come forward and report incidents to police.

“When they do we will meet them at a time and location suitable to them and have a car with specially-trained officers dedicated to doing this.

“We also work very closely with Wearside Women in Need, and regularly have a member of their staff join us on patrol to respond to domestic incidents so they are on hand to offer support to the victim there and then.

“A senior officer is made aware of every domestic incident reported to police, with discussions taking place daily around what to do to make sure victims are safeguarded and perpetrators dealt with.

“Working in partnership with other agencies is absolutely crucial, and cases are regularly discussed as part of our multi-agency arrangements where information is shared between agencies to make sure everyone who has responsibility for safeguarding the most vulnerable is able to play their part.

“We actively encourage victims to come forward and report incidents to police, so that we can not only make sure they get the support they need, but so we can also take action against the perpetrator to prevent them from offending further.

“At the heart of everything we do is making sure we do the right thing by victims, and anyone who has been a victim should not hesitate to come forward and report this to us so police, along with our partner agencies, can help them.

“There are always ways we can improve, and we look forward to working as part of the new Domestic Abuse Working Group in South Tyneside to make sure everything is done to not just respond to domestic abuse incidents, but help put in measures to prevent it happening in the first instance.”