Communications
As part of the Tackling Violent Crime Programme the Home Office has been providing support to police force and government office communications personnel in publicising activity under the programme and putting forward key messages.
Objectives:
· To raise local awareness of police and partners’ activity to tackle violent crime, particularly alcohol-related crime in the night-time economy (NTE) and domestic violence
· To highlight the successes of partnership working on a local level
· To raise public awareness of the penalties and consequences of committing alcohol-related violence and domestic violence
· On alcohol-related violence, to raise trade awareness of the existing legislation around licensing and their personal responsibilities
· To generate positive news and create reassurance not fear
· To raise awareness, promote informed choices and encourage sensible drinking
· To encourage victims of domestic violence to report the abuse or seek support
· To raise awareness among the general public that crimes of domestic violence should be reported just like any other crime
· To strengthen the message to perpetrators of DV that domestic abuse in any form is not acceptable. To raise awareness among perpetrators that, where there is sufficient evidence of their guilt, they could be prosecuted even without the victim’s statement.
Communications has supported the operational activity by:
- Identifying the communications needs working with force leads to develop PR ideas/suggestions that will resonate best with local media
- Providing ongoing communications support to specified Police Force press officers
Developing bespoke public-facing media strategies in each force area to promote the work being done to tackle specific local violent crime issues around NTE/DV
Examples of media initiatives in the past have included:
Crackdown on supermarket retailers
Promoting national "Best Bar None" schemes
FPN deterrent messages
Day in the life of a licensing officers
‘Enough’ campaign aimed at witnesses of domestic violence and encouraging third party reporting.
Click here for Communications Toolkit.
You can download examples of communications material used in the TVCP areas here:
Poster aimed at punters
Poster aimed at staff
Information for students
Last update: Friday, November 21, 2008