Good afternoon. Thank you very much for the opportunity to address this committee on behalf of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police.
As you're aware, I'm Chief Kimberley Greenwood. I'm the co-chair of the victims of crime committee.
As police officers, we see first-hand the tragic and, sometimes, deadly effects that intimate partner violence brings to victims, their families and our communities. We know that the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated concerns and stressed the need for consistent, national approaches to address intimate partner violence.
Women's shelters are reporting not only an increase in cases but an increase in the intensity of the violence and in the levels of fear experienced by victims. Shelters are also noting a spike in substance abuse as feelings of helplessness rise.
The many complexities of intimate partner violence and the need for a coordinated understanding of and response to it in Canada is paramount. In 2016, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, in partnership with the University of New Brunswick, released an evidence-based and research-driven “National Framework on Collaborative Police Action on Intimate Partner Violence”. The framework is intended to provide police services across the nation with a shared language and understanding of intimate partner violence.
The key themes include: consistent police response and investigation practices that are victim focused and trauma informed in nature; the adoption of common tools and techniques for police intervention, including standardized risk assessments; sharing responsibilities across agencies, including public health, police, social agencies and other community organizations; effective court processes and case management to address risk and prevent further harm; more research and adapted, proven, evidence-based practices when monitoring and supporting offenders, like the research being conducted in Barrie on recidivism rates of intimate partner violence offenders; and finally the creation of a Canadian centre for policing intimate partner violence to bring the framework online and make it operational for our frontline officers and investigators.
Our work did not stop when the framework was launched. We are taking steps to produce additional resources on trauma-informed and victim-focused approaches, as well as educational material on coercive control.
I now turn over the presentation to Director Francis Lanouette. He is the co-chair of the crime prevention, community safety and well-being committee.