Police Safety Orders (PSOs) are a tool that give Police the ability to provide immediate protection for families at risk of violence from someone in their home.
PSOs came into effect on July 1 this year and Police issued 290 safety orders in the month of July.
National Family Violence Coordinator, Inspector Brigitte Nimmo says while the PSOs have only been in operation for a few months front-line staff are using them effectively to keep families safe.
The PSO not only protects the indivudal at risk but any children in the household who reside with the person at risk who is protected by a PSO.
Police can order a person to stay away from a house and from any contact with the at-risk person for anywhere from a few hours up to five days.
"Children are especially vunerable even though they may not be the primary victim. Keeping their environment safe and secure is paramount and a PSO gives us the resource to take immediate action," said Inspector Nimmo.
Police can issue a PSO in circumstances where they have reasonable grounds to suspect a person is a danger to their family/partner/children but don't have enough evidence to charge someone at the time.
"It's very hard for an officer to walk away from a situation where they know a person or a family is likely to experience violence, but also know that they can't charge anyone with an offence."
"Being able to issue a PSO removes the threat from the home and gives the at risk person and their children some breathing space to make some decisions about their future. It is also an opportunity for the person against whom the order is issued to take stock and seek support to take steps to address their behaviour to stop the cycle of violence."
Part of the function of a PSO is to ensure that someone visits the family from a relevant agency while the order is in force to talk through their options and ensure that there is support available.
Statistics on the numbers of PSOs issued can be found by going to the police website
http://www.police.govt.nz/service/monthly-statistics
More information about PSOs are also availabe on the police website
ENDS
Jane Archibald
NZ Police
027 568 0267