Deb Hann – Senior Constable
I hope the school holidays are going well. I enjoyed a break away myself last week – we have definitely lucked out on the sunny winter weather for the first half of the holidays.
Senior Constable Deb Hann – On the Beat
In my absence, Cambridge Police continued to be busy. Our Public Safety Teams attended incidents including three reports of assault, two reports of suspicious activity, five mental health incidents, three traffic crashes, four burglaries and a theft of a motor vehicle, three drunk drivers, a disqualified driver and four family harm incidents.
As a result of the latter, three people were issued with Police Safety orders, one of whom was subsequently arrested for breaching the order and assaulting police.
Still on the topic of family harm, I have spoken before about the reasons to call 111 when you witness family harm in progress – especially when it is serious in nature and children are present. As with many other types of offending, our community are our extra eyes and ears and sometimes we need you to step up and assist.
For various reasons, the individuals involved in a family harm situation will often minimise or even deny what has happened when police attend. For those stuck in a cycle of abuse, the fear of retribution or of making their personal situation worse by further provoking their abuser is a real reason for this.
A build-up of tension and psychological abuse may have been ongoing for a few days or even weeks before the event you witness. If can be recorded discretely and safely, independent witness video/CCTV evidence of an assault in progress is powerful in its ability to portray the true seriousness of the incident and the demeanours of those involved.
While police attendance is not necessarily an instant fix, having independent evidence and witnesses prepared to make a statement, can ensure offenders are held to account. Making sure we are called in the first place increases the likelihood that we can be there with the necessary support at the moment when the family are ready to make a change or the victim is ready to leave. Wrap-around supports for the whole family can be put in place regardless.
In a final note, I have previously reminded you to turn on your headlights in foggy or inclement weather. With the drop in temperatures, please also be aware of icy road conditions, especially when driving early in the morning or overnight. Drive to the conditions always and remember to give way when required.
