Logan police have partnered with the Centre for Women & Co on a new co-responder model to provide support to those seeking safety from violent and controlling relationships.
The new Domestic Violence Engagement Team (DVET), made up of six general duties police and a Centre for Women & Co support worker, now operates five-days-per-week servicing Logan Central and Crestmead police divisions.
Chief Superintendent Mel Adams said the partnership would allow police to better support those in the community who were most at-risk, removing barriers to help them access support.
“This partnership brings support services to the doors of those who have been subjected to violence or control from their partners,” she said.
“Support workers and police visits and actively engage with victim-survivors on safety planning to ensure they have a strong network around them, including with their neighbours, family and friends. This allows us to provide prevention-focused support at the most appropriate time.
“Police are most often called to these incidents at the point of crisis but this model provides an opportunity for education and support outside of this and aims to increase the safety for victims and prevent future escalations.”
Senior Sergeant Brett Jackson said with officers spending up to 40 per cent of their time responding to domestic and family violence in the community, his officers were committed to making a difference in reducing calls for service and making home environments safer across the area.
“These six officers are passionate about understanding relationships and identifying ways to support victims and perpetrators through these challenging times in their lives,” he said.
“Their job each day is to connect with these people and provide this much needed support. We are starting to see positive results with ongoing engagement with victim-survivors across Logan and Crestmead.”
Centre for Women & Co CEO Stacey Ross said the ability to continue the co-responder model for an additional three months is really moving, not only for our teams, but more importantly for the benefit of the broader community.
“We work so closely with police on a daily basis and so the ability to improve the outcome for victim-survivors is the core purpose.
“Sharing this specialist knowledge and supporting police response is a really important part of this project as well.
“Centre for Women & Co is extremely grateful for Small Steps 4 Hannah’s Foundation for the financial support to continue this critical work.”
This partnership is funded by Small Steps 4 Hannah and demonstrates the commitment from non-government agencies and police to work together to create safer relationships in our communities.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic and family violence, you should report it to police.
Support and counselling is available from the following agencies:
- DVConnect Womensline: 1800 811 811
- DVConnect Mensline: 1800 600 636
- 1800 RESPECT: 1800 737 732
More information is also available from the Queensland Government Domestic and Family Violence portal.
