New Centre for Public Protection to Launch in April

 The Home Office has confirmed funding for a new centre aimed at enhancing public protection efforts and addressing Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). This initiative, a partnership between the College of Policing and the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), will combine the expertise of the Vulnerability, Knowledge and Practice Programme (VKPP), Operation Soteria, and the VAWG Taskforce.

The centre, set to become operational in Spring 2025, will initially be based at the College of Policing and will be led by a newly appointed Deputy Chief Constable, who will join the Executive team.

VKPP director Gareth Edwards stated;

“Policing is dedicated to protecting those who are vulnerable and ensuring victims have the confidence to come forward, are listened to, treated compassionately and receive the best possible service.”

“This new centre will consolidate our existing expertise, knowledge and skills to provide a more effective and joined up approach while maintaining our close link with our invaluable stakeholders. It is a collaboration between the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and the College of Policing, supported by the Home Office.”

By integrating the three programmes, the centre aims to enhance collaboration, building on the strengths of each initiative. This will enable the sustainable implementation of necessary changes in policing to effectively address Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and public protection offences. The goal is to transition from short-term grants and deliverables to long-term, stable funding, ensuring comprehensive and lasting improvements.

The centre’s efforts will help bring more offenders to justice, prevent the lasting harm caused by public protection-related crimes on victims, families, and communities, and foster confidence among victims and witnesses to come forward, assured of the professional, compassionate policing service they will receive.