GUEST COLUMN
COMMUNITY INTELLIGENCE
Former South Wales Police Detective Constable, Steve Dodd, writes for POLICE on the various layers of VAWG and the need for neighbourhood police officers to adapt to the evolving landscape
IN TACKLING VAWG
Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) remains an entrenched societal blight, demanding a multifaceted approach from law enforcement agencies across England and Wales. At the heart of this response is community intelligence- led methodology—a pragmatic, dynamic strategy designed to confront the complexities of VAWG with precision, empathy, and resilience.
THE LANDSCAPE OF VAWG: A SOBERING REALITY The statistics are harrowing. Domestic abuse-related crimes reached 851,062 in the year to March 2024, with an estimated 2.3 million people experiencing domestic abuse—1.6 million of whom are women. These numbers, however, only
44 | POLICE | AUGUST | 2025
scratch the surface, hiding the profound psychological scars and systemic failures that often accompany such abuse. Reports such as the Independent Inquiry
into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) and the Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse (AAFDA) policy briefs underscore the tragic reality: victims frequently suffer in plain sight, their vulnerabilities compounded by institutional blind spots. The data reveals that girls are at least three times more likely than boys to experience child sexual abuse, while disabled individuals and those in care homes face elevated risks.
COMMUNITY INTELLIGENCE- LED POLICING: A PRAGMATIC APPROACH Community Intelligence-Led Policing
Methodology (CILPM) operates on a fundamental principle: local officers are uniquely positioned to gather grassroots information that might otherwise remain hidden. By recording seemingly minor details—conversations, observations, and community dynamics—officers create “thin layers of data” that, when aggregated, unveil patterns of abuse, exploitation, and criminal activity. This methodology complements high-level strategic frameworks like the Home Office’s Safer Streets Mission and the Strategic Policing Requirement (SPR), which elevate VAWG alongside threats such as terrorism and organised crime. Such alignment ensures that neighbourhood policing is not an isolated endeavour but an integral part of a
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