Responses to Safe to Share report on policing and immigration
Responses from bodies subject to recommendations and actions in the report on Liberty and Southall Black Sisters’ super-complaint on policing and immigration.
Applies to England and Wales
Documents
Details
In December 2020 HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS), the College of Policing (CoP) and the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) published a report in response to the super-complaint submitted by Liberty and Southall Black Sisters about the practice of the police sharing of victims’ information with the Home Office.
The report made recommendations for the police, the Home Office, the National Police Chiefs’ Council, and police and crime commissioners (or equivalents) to ensure victims of crime are always treated as victims first and foremost, regardless of their immigration status. The report also included actions for HMICFRS and the College of Policing regarding their own work. The details of these recommendations and actions are listed on pages 15 – 20 of Safe to Share?
College of Policing
The report included two actions for the College of Policing, as well as a role supporting the implementation of one of the recommendations to other bodies.
Recommendation 1.
The College was instructed to “immediately develop guidance” to support those working in policing to fulfil ‘Recommendation 1’ – i.e. that “pending the outcome of recommendation 2, where officers only have concerns or doubts about a victim’s immigration status, we recommend that they immediately stop sharing information on domestic abuse victims with Immigration Enforcement.”
The guidance has been produced and has been published as an update to existing ‘Authorised Professional Practice’ (APP) for policing. APP is authorised by the College of Policing as the official source of professional practice on policing. Police officers and staff are expected to have regard to APP in discharging their responsibilities.
The revised guidance is in the ‘risk factors and vulnerabilities connected with domestic abuse’ section of the ‘Major Investigation and Public Protection’ APP. It is available to view online Risk and vulnerability (college.police.uk)
Action 1.
The action was for the College to “work with interested parties to consider how domestic abuse risk assessment tools used by the police and partner organisations can include immigration status as a risk factor.”
The College has developed a revised risk assessment tool for domestic abuse, ‘DARA’, which focuses on uncovering evidence of coercive and controlling behaviour. There is evidence that the tool is more effective at eliciting disclosures of coercive and controlling behaviour. The potential use of immigration status as a way to manipulate and control would be addressed through use of the tool.
Action 2.
The action was for the College, “when updating knowledge and training products, ensure that the messaging across all relevant guidance is consistent about the need for policing to balance the needs for safeguarding a victim or witness against the national interest in investigating crime.”
This is a continuing piece of work. Every revision of College of Policing training or guidance includes consideration of the balance between the rights of all involved and the necessity to achieve the best outcomes for all.
HMICFRS
Action 3.
The action for HMICFRS was ‘ Subject to available funding from the Home Office, HMICFRS will consider whether future inspection activity and/or monitoring could review how the issues raised by this super-complaint are being addressed by forces, once they have had an opportunity to make changes in the light of this investigation’.
Subject to available funding from the Home Office, HMICFRS will review whether inspection activity and/or monitoring should be undertaken (in 2023-24) to see how issues raised in this super-complaint are being addressed by forces.
Home Office update
There are two responses from The Home Office. These responses are available as PDFs at the start of this page.
NPCC update
The NPCC has responded, this response can be found at the start of this page.
Police force and PCC responses
| Police force | Response |
|---|---|
| Avon and Somerset Constabulary | Avon and Somerset Constabulary response |
| Bedfordshire Police | Response received but not published by the force |
| Cambridgeshire Constabulary | Cambridgeshire Constabulary response |
| Cheshire Constabulary | Cheshire Constabulary response |
| City of London Police | City of London Police response |
| Cleveland Police | Response received but not published by the force |
| Cumbria Constabulary | Response received but not published by the force |
| Derbyshire Constabulary | Derbyshire Constabulary response |
| Devon and Cornwall Police | Devon and Cornwall Police response |
| Dorset Police | Response received but not published by the force |
| Durham Constabulary | Durham Constabulary response |
| Dyfed-Powys Police | Dyfed-Powys Police response |
| Essex Police | Essex Police response |
| Gloucestershire Constabulary | Gloucestershire Constabulary response |
| Greater Manchester Police | Greater Manchester Police response |
| Gwent Police | Gwent Police response |
| Hampshire Constabulary | Hampshire Constabulary response |
| Hertfordshire Constabulary | Hertfordshire Constabulary response |
| Humberside Police | Humberside Police response |
| Kent Police | Kent Police response |
| Lancashire Constabulary | Lancashire Constabulary response |
| Leicestershire Police | Response received but not published by the force |
| Lincolnshire Police | Response received but not published by the force |
| Merseyside Police | Merseyside Police response |
| Metropolitan Police Service | Metropolitan Police Service response |
| Norfolk Constabulary | Norfolk Constabulary response |
| North Wales Police | North Wales Police response |
| North Yorkshire Police | Response received but not published by the force |
| Northamptonshire Police | Northamptonshire Police response |
| Northumbria Police | Northumbria Police response |
| Nottinghamshire Police | Nottinghamshire Police response |
| South Wales Police | South Wales Police response |
| South Yorkshire Police | South Yorkshire Police response |
| Staffordshire Police | Staffordshire Police response |
| Suffolk Police | Suffolk Police response |
| Surrey Police | Surrey Police response |
| Sussex Police | Sussex Police response |
| Thames Valley Police | Thames Valley Police response |
| Warwickshire Police | Warwickshire Police response |
| West Mercia Police | West Mercia Police response |
| West Midlands Police | Response received but not published by the force |
| West Yorkshire Police | This force did not reply |
| Wiltshire Police | Wiltshire Police response |
| PCC or equivalent | Response |
|---|---|
| Avon and Somerset police and crime commissioner | Avon and Somerset police and crime commissioner response |
| Bedfordshire police and crime commissioner | This PCC did not reply |
| Cambridgeshire police and crime commissioner | Cambridgeshire police and crime commissioner response |
| Cheshire police and crime commissioner | Cheshire police and crime commissioner response |
| City of London police and crime commissioner | This PCC did not reply |
| Cleveland police and crime commissioner | This PCC did not reply |
| Cumbria police and crime commissioner | This PCC did not reply |
| Derbyshire police and crime commissioner | This PCC did not reply |
| Devon and Cornwall police and crime commissioner | Devon and Cornwall police and crime commissioner response |
| Dorset police and crime commissioner | This PCC did not reply |
| Durham police and crime commissioner | Durham police and crime commissioner response |
| Dyfed-Powys police and crime commissioner | Dyfed-Powys police and crime commissioner response |
| Essex police and crime commissioner | This PCC did not reply |
| Gloucester police and crime commissioner | Gloucestershire police and crime commissioner response |
| Greater Manchester police and crime commissioner | Greater Manchester police and crime commissioner |
| Gwent police and crime commissioner | This PCC did not reply |
| Hampshire police and crime commissioner | Hampshire police and crime commissioner response |
| Hertfordshire police and crime commissioner | Hertfordshire police and crime commissioner response |
| Humberside police and crime commissioner | This PCC did not reply |
| Kent police and crime commissioner | This PCC did not reply |
| Lancashire police and crime commissioner | This PCC did not reply |
| Leicestershire police and crime commissioner | This PCC did not reply |
| Lincolnshire police and crime commissioner | Lincolnshire police and crime commissioner response |
| Merseyside police and crime commissioner | Merseyside police and crime commissioner response |
| Metropolitan Police Service Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime | Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime response |
| Norfolk police and crime commissioner | Norfolk police and crime commissioner response |
| North Wales police and crime commissioner | This PCC did not reply |
| North Yorkshire police and crime commissioner | Response received but not published by the Commissioner |
| Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner | Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner response |
| Northumbria police and crime commissioner | Northumbria police and crime commissioner response |
| Nottinghamshire police and crime commissioner | Nottinghamshire police and crime commissioner response |
| South Wales police and crime commissioner | South Wales police and crime commissioner response |
| South Yorkshire police and crime commissioner | South Yorkshire police and crime commissioner response |
| Staffordshire police and crime commissioner | Staffordshire police and crime commissioner response |
| Suffolk police and crime commissioner | Suffolk police and crime commissioner response |
| Surrey police and crime commissioner | Surrey police and crime commissioner response |
| Sussex police and crime commissioner | Sussex police and crime commissioner response |
| Thames Valley police and crime commissioner | Thames Valley police and crime commissioner response |
| Warwickshire police and crime commissioner | Warwickshire police and crime commissioner response |
| West Mercia police and crime commissioner | West Mercia police and crime commissioner response |
| West Midlands police and crime commissioner | West Midlands police and crime commissioner response |
| West Yorkshire Mayor for Policing and Crime | West Yorkshire Mayor for Policing and Crime response |
| Wiltshire police and crime commissioner | Wiltshire police and crime commissioner response |