The partnership's priorities are:
Domestic Abuse
This is an incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening, degrading and violent behaviour, including sexual violence, in most cases by a partner or ex-partner, but also by a family member or carer. It is very common and can include, but is not limited to, the following:
- Coercive control (a pattern of intimidation, degradation, isolation and control with the use or threat of physical or sexual violence)
- Psychological and/or emotional abuse.
- Physical or sexual abuse.
- Financial or economic abuse.
- Harassment and stalking.
- Online or digital abuse.
What we will do:
- Develop a clear strategy to reduce domestic abuse with an additional focus on work with perpetrators and Babies, Children and Young People.
- Enable partners to continue supporting people suffering from domestic abuse.
Ensure victims and survivors can access support to prevent them becoming repeat victims.
Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG)
Violence against women and girls is an umbrella term used to describe any form of abuse directed at women and girls. It can include domestic abuse; rape and sexual violence; stalking; forced marriage; so-called honour based violence; female genital mutilation (FGM); trafficking and sexual exploitation including through the sex industry; and sexual harassment in work and public life. Policing, and society, must focus on violence against women and girls so that it can be eradicated
What we will do:
- Work together to change attitudes and behaviours towards women and girls that undermine safety.
- Encourage increased reporting from victims of VAWG
- Target those areas identified as VAWG ‘Hot Spots’ and work together to minimise the risk to women and girls in those areas using target hardening
- Work together to develop a vibrant night-time economy across Cumberland free from violence and fear.
- Ensure licensed premises are safe and complement violence reduction initiatives.
Anti-Social Behaviour
Anti-social behaviour (ASB) can be described as behaviour/actions which causes or is likely to cause harassment, alarm, or distress and, if left unchecked, it can have a serious adverse effect on individuals, communities, and the environment.
Examples could include:
- threatening, harassing or unruly behaviour such as drunkenness and loitering in public spaces.
- drug use – and the mess and disruption that can go with it.
- vandalism, graffiti, fly-tipping, and littering.
- disruptive neighbours consistently playing loud music or letting their dog bark all night.
What we will do:
- Reduce the number of repeat victims of ASB.
- Effectively use the breadth of legislative powers available to address ASB.
- Focus on a preventative and restorative justice approach to those involved in ASB.
- Improve our approach to ASB case reviews to ensure the victims of Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) receive a high quality, consistent problem-solving approach.
Community Cohesion
Community cohesion empowers local people and helps shape and sustain neighbourhoods for the benefit of everyone. A cohesive community is a place where people have a shared vision, is inclusive, is based on equality of opportunity, ensuring fairness and access for all. It enables the development of an environment based on trust, tolerance, mutual support in recognition of commonality.
It is our duty to ensure that we understand the needs of all our community members without prejudice. To ensure that everyone’s rights and dignity are upheld and that our communities can live without fear or exclusion. Positive integration is of paramount importance to developing cohesive communities, this being a responsibility for all community members.
What we will do:
- We will increase our knowledge and understanding of the barriers to positive community cohesion.
- Develop and promote a robust hate crime reporting system that increases our community’s trust and confidence in reporting.
- Work together to improve our response to incidents of high tension and communication, including our ability to respond to conspiracy theories and disinformation.
- Develop a range of systems to support the mapping, monitoring, and evaluation of our work.
- Ensure that education is factored into our collective approach as a key driver in changing attitudes and behaviours.