An Exploration of Applying the ‘Power Few’ Concept to the Policing of Domestic Abuse Perpetrators

• In Event: Roundtable: Drawing Lessons and Learning From a Merseyside Based Police Service and University Co-Production Research Partnership

Abstract

The policing of domestic abuse remains an operational priority for forces throughout England and Wales, with some areas routinely receiving on average nearly 100 domestic violence reports each day. Within the context of high demand and diminishing resources police forces are exploring a variety of practice models in order to effectively respond to domestic abuse with many promoting proactive engagement with perpetrators.
The ‘power few’ concept encourages the belief that a small percentage of perpetrators can account for a large proportion of crime, disproportionally consuming vast amounts of police time and resources. The presentation here will explore the capacity of adopting a ‘power few’ approach to the policing of domestic violence and considers the ability of practitioners, operationally, to re-orientate working practice. It will examine the challenges of identifying the specific characteristics of the ‘power few’ group’ and then of engaging individuals who are often the most resistant to engaging and who services may be reluctant to work with. The presentation will explore, from police practitioner’s perspectives, if the approach is able to offer improvements in the safeguarding of victims, can help guide efforts to challenge behaviour, reduces offending, and to better identify successful interventions in changing such behaviour.

Author

• Charlotte Watkinson, Liverpool John Moores University