Police given drama lessons to improve detection of coercive control

Police officers are to receive drama lessons from theatre actors in a bid to improve their ability to "spot the signs" of domestic abuse.

Cleveland Police has asked Open Clasp, a women's theatre company based in the north east, to help train officers to better identify instances of coervice or controlling behaviour. 

The scheme forms part of a Home Office project, piloted by eight police forces in northern England, to build confidence among domestic violence victims and encourage more survivors to report abuse.

Charities described the move as an "innovative" way to help police officers "understand the realities" of controlling behaviour.

In Cleveland, which has one of the smallest police forces in the country geographically, there have been 9,879 domestic abuse crimes recorded since the turn of the year. 

A team of seven experts have been appointed by police chiefs to identify what improvements can be made to drive down the numbers.

Theatre organisers at Open Clasp say they will use their critically acclaimed play Rattle Snake to deliver drama-based training to police officers and staff to help them pinpoint domestic abuse.

Rattle Snake is based on real life stories of women who have survived domestic violence and was written in 2015 when coercive and controlling behaviour was made a criminal offence.

However, MPs warned in December last year that just eight of the 43 police forces across England had provided training to officers amid fears they were ill-equipped to deal with offenders.

Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner Barry Coppinger said: “The nature of policing is changing and officers are expected to respond to increasingly complex incidents, including reports of domestic abuse and coercive control.

“The theatrical nature of the training allows officers to witness first-hand the impact coercive controlling behaviour has on victims and will ensure they can spot the signs of this behaviour when attending incidents.

“By improving the way officers respond to domestic abuse incidents, we hope to increase victim satisfaction and build confidence in the police, making victims more likely to report further incidents."

Catrina McHugh MBE, artistic director at Open Clasp, said: “Rattle Snake was created to train frontline police officers in Co. Durham in better responding to sexual and domestic abuse, coinciding with the change in UK law in 2015 making coercive control in relationships a crime. 

“Today we find ourselves in 2018, living in a world where some still feel a sense of entitlement to take away another person’s liberty, to control, threaten and annihilate so it's fantastic to be able to support police in Cleveland to tackle domestic violence and help to make a real difference to the lives of families there.”

Katie Ghose, chief executive of Women’s Aid, said: “Rattle Snake is an important play that gets to the heart of domestic abuse and coercive control. 

"This play is an innovative way to engage police officers and other statutory agency staff, helping them to understand the realities of coercive control for survivors. 

"It is positive that police leaders are making tackling coercive control more of a priority within Cleveland Police Force. 

"We call for all police forces to ensure that police staff, from call handlers to frontline officers, receive robust and ongoing domestic abuse training, co-delivered by specialists like Women’s Aid, to improve their response and the support they provide to women who are experiencing domestic abuse and coercive control.”

The Home Office has been contacted for comment.