Police chief: ‘Violence against women is a pandemic. It’s our biggest issue.’

‘TAKING ACTION’: Humberside Police Chief Constable Lee Freeman. Picture by Neil Holmes Photography

Tackling the abuse of women and girls by men is Humberside Police’s number one priority, Chief Constable Lee Freeman has revealed. In this exclusive interview he discusses the scale of the problem, injection by spiking, and the impact Sarah Everard’s murder has had on the force. Rick Lyon reports

Male violence against women and girls has been described as a “pandemic” by Humberside Police Chief Constable Lee Freeman, who says it is the single biggest issue the force faces.

Mr Freeman has revealed the issue, predominantly through domestic abuse, has become the force’s main priority.

There are currently 70-75 cases reported to Humberside Police each day. According to the Crime Survey for England and Wales, around 1.6 million women experience domestic abuse every year.

Mr Freeman said the scale of the issue is reflected by the resources the force is dedicating to bringing perpetrators to justice and supporting victims, but insisted more could and would be done.

“This is the single biggest issue we’re dealing with at the moment,” said Mr Freeman.

“For me, it’s a pandemic. It’s causing real harm, not only to the individuals suffering that abuse now, but also to the children in that environment and their life chances.

“This really is the number one force priority. It’s about taking action against the abusers and supporting the victims to seek justice, and for them to be able to escape these abusive relationships.

‘There’s more we can do - there can be absolutely no complacency’

“We don’t have a dedicated burglary squad, but we have dedicated public protection teams – that’s because the number of women being murdered by men in this country far exceeds the number of people being killed during a burglary.

“It’s the area we’re prioritising, with many of our new officers going into our public protection and CID teams, which are picking these cases up.

“When incidents are reported to us, we take them very seriously and make sure they’re properly investigated really quickly, and the victims are updated about what we’ve done about it.

“We’re much better at doing that now, but is it perfect? No, it’s not. Is there room for improvement? Absolutely.

“We need to hold each other to account and say ‘there’s more we can do’. There can be absolutely no complacency here.”

Further resources are to be deployed to help tackle the issue, with the formation of two dedicated domestic abuse investigation and safeguarding units.

The new units – one on the North Bank of the Humber and one on the South Bank – will be introduced when additional funding becomes available to the force in 2022.

‘PANDEMIC’: Humberside Police are prioritising tackling violence against women and girls

“They’ll deal solely with domestic abuse, from the point of report, including managing the offenders and supporting the victims right through the journey. They’ll also work on prevention,” said Mr Freeman.

The safety of women socialising in the city’s bars and nightclubs has also recently been highlighted as an area of particular concern, following a number of reported cases of spiking by injection.

Mr Freeman said the force was aware of potential safety issues before these reports, and launched Operation Contract in response six months ago.

Under the operation, plain clothes police offices are mingling in bars and nightclubs and working closely with licensees to gather intelligence and ensure they are in a position to respond quickly to any offences.

“They’re effectively undercover, observing and looking for behaviours and potential offenders,” said Mr Freeman.

“They’re also liaising with bar staff so that, when there are allegations, we can quickly secure CCTV.

“If people have been spiked, whether it’s something poured in their glass or an injection of some sort, it’s really important that we get to the scene quickly and establish what’s happened.

‘You shouldn’t be afraid to go out and live your life - we’re here to protect you’

“But my message to people is, you shouldn’t be afraid to go out and live your life in Hull.

“I know there’ve been some reported instances, but you shouldn’t have to change your behaviour. It’s up to us, and the licensed premises and Hull City Council, to work together to create a safe environment where people can go out and live their lives.

“We’re here to support and protect you. We’re out there and we’re taking it seriously.”

Mr Freeman was speaking to The Hull Story following national White Ribbon Day 2021, on November 25, part of White Ribbon UK’s campaign to end violence against women.

It was launched following the murder of Sarah Everard by serving Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens, which has brought a national spotlight on the conduct and behaviours of male police officers.

Mr Freeman, Chief Constable of Humberside Police since June 2017, said the murder affected every serving officer and accepts public confidence in the police has been shaken as a result.

“The fact that a serving police officer used his position to commit an horrific crime hit everybody in policing really hard,” he said.

HORRIFIC CRIME: Wayne Couzens

“Everybody in policing was absolutely appalled by that and it hit us all personally because it strikes at the heart of what we’re all about, which is that the public can trust us.

“We recognise that trust is hard-earned and it may have to be earned back. If that trust has been shaken, that’s something we have to accept and work very hard to get back. But I think that’s understandable in the circumstances, in all honesty.”

Mr Freeman said he has dismissed a number of police officers and staff for inappropriate behaviour during his four-and-a-half years in charge and will not hesitate to do so again. But he is confident anyone falling below the expected standards is in a small minority.

“The vast majority of my staff come to work to serve the public and are there to protect them. It’s why we sign up,” he said.

“The public expect police officers, who have the right to take away someone’s liberty through force, to treat people with empathy and compassion, and to be completely professional.

“I have to say that’s the case with 99.9 per cent of my staff.

“We’re here to keep the public safe and that’s what we’re working really hard to do every day.”