The Royal Gibraltar Police has recently expanded its Public Protection Unit (PPU) to deal with wider aspects of domestic crime.
This expansion comes as a result of the work the force is doing to implement the recommendations set out in the 2020 HMICFRS Report and therefore the PPU’s work features in the monthly review of the Command Team's commitment to achieve its objectives.
These are long term aims and the Command Team accept that there is still much to do.
The PPU now comprises four small teams who focus on:
Members of the Domestic Abuse Team have each undertaken the training to make them Domestic Abuse Champions and they are responsible for undertaking investigation duties to identify the perpetrators of Domestic Abuse and to ensure that any evidence obtained is appropriately recorded, secured and preserved.
The Victim Support Team is the main point of contact for victims and witnesses, providing advice and guidance and support as a case progresses. In this way, it is hoped that victims and witnesses will have the confidence to attend court and give their best evidence.
Children and vulnerable adults may need specialist support and this is provided by the Safeguarding Team, whose members are specially trained in undertaking investigations into child (and vulnerable adult) abuse and any associated offences. Safe Lives training is now provided to all members of the RGP, including the Command team. As with the other PPU teams, support is provided to victims regardless of their gender, race, religion, disabilities or sexual orientation.
The fourth element in the PPU is that of the Designated Risk Management Team whose primary purpose is the risk management of sex offenders within our community and of those that move into our community, the aim being to reduce the risk of such individuals re-offending and keeping the public safe.
Commissioner of Police, Richard Ullger, said: "The PPU is our holistic approach to protecting the public and, in particular to protecting the most vulnerable members of our community.
"Whilst we now have a synergy with our partner agencies, it is my aspiration to see our Safeguarding Unit form part of a Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub [MASH], where all the various agencies would actually be co-located together. In that way, information could more easily be shared and decision-making would be better co-ordinated. Additionally, we are also already benefiting from working to the spirit of a Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference, which better addresses the highest risked domestic abuse cases and this will be enhanced by further training with Safe Lives."