Wiltshire Police aiming to strengthen approach to serious sexual offences
They've joined a national project
Wiltshire Police are aiming to strengthen their approach to tackling rape and serious sexual offences in the county.
The force will become of 14 around the country to adopt Operation Soteria Bluestone.
It includes a Home Office funded research and change programme led by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and involves police services working with leading academics.
Its aim, alongside improving the police response to these offences, is to create a national operating model which will be rolled out to all 43 police services in England and Wales.
Themes include suspect focused investigations, identification of repeat and serial offenders, victim engagement, learning, development and wellbeing for officers, better use of data and digital forensics.
Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson is backing the approach.
The PCC said:
While many officers are doing their absolute best under difficult circumstances, the totality of the criminal justice system has, all too often, let victims of rape and serious sexual offences down, and whilst Soteria Bluestone does not offer an overnight solution, I hope this new innovation will assist Wiltshire Police to improve the service that both they, my office and the criminal justice sector provide to victims, both locally and nationally.
“We must ensure investigations and charging decisions are carried out in a timely manner and we must work together in the wider criminal justice system to try and get cases to court more quickly. We want victims to feel more empowered and have more confidence that their interests will be protected throughout the entirety of the criminal justice system.”
Wiltshire Police Detective Superintendent, Sarah Robbins added:
“We are pleased to be one of the latest 14 police forces to join Operation Soteria Bluestone, contributing to developing a new national operating model for stronger and more efficient rape investigations.
“Alongside Dorset and Hampshire Police, we have been working in partnership with the Crown Prosecution Service for the past 18 months to improve our approach in this area. We look forward to working with the Operation Soteria team to further improve our support to victims and focus on the continual pursuit and prosecution of the people who carry out these awful crimes."