West Yorkshire Police has seen a 33 per cent increase in 999 domestic abuse calls following on from England’s first match at the weekend in the Euro 2016 tournament.
A total of 3,606 calls including 999 and 101 calls were received between 8pm and 3am on Saturday night when England drew against Russia in Marseille – which is around 200 calls up from last Saturday night.
Control room staff tweeted information about call levels and incidents throughout the evening to help paint a picture of just how busy officers were.
Detective Superintendent Darren Minton of West Yorkshire Police’s Safeguarding Central Governance Unit, said: “Following on from England’s first match in the tournament, where they drew against Russia, our call handlers had a busy night taking calls from domestic abuse victims and also other calls relating to anti-social behaviour.
“So far, the number of reported domestic abuse related incidents has shown that there has been a rise when England has been playing and I would like to reiterate our message that domestic abuse will not be tolerated and a moment’s madness towards a partner during the drama of the football can lead to a lifetime of consequences.
“These could be anything from prison terms for violent offences, loss of access to children, loss of access to social housing, the break-up of relationships and also bans from pubs or other public places.
“We will continue to push our message through social media channels and the campaign posters and leaflets which have been distributed by our local Neighbourhood Policing Teams. We will also keep up our patrols and focus on vulnerable victims and known offenders, throughout the tournament, and at all other times.”
Tom Donohoe, Head of Customer Contact Centre, said: “West Yorkshire Police Call handlers had to deal with a great number of calls relating to disturbances and alcohol related calls after the England match, as well as a large number of calls which were not Police matters but nevertheless occupied staff at key points during the evening.
“On a busy night staff coped really well and the Force still managed an average queue time for 999 calls of 7 seconds, prioritising our most vulnerable callers.”
On Wednesday 15 June at 7pm, West Yorkshire Police will host a webchat with the Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Burns-Williamson on domestic abuse.
Mark Burns-Williamson, West Yorkshire's Police and Crime Commissioner, said: “Domestic abuse and domestic violence are completely unacceptable, there’s no reason for a violent or abusive home, and it’s something no-one should have to live with at any time.
“If anyone has any questions on domestic abuse I would urge them to join Wednesday’s web chat if they are able to. Questions can be asked anonymously and the session can be replayed at any time."
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