Police will receive mandatory training on violence against women under Labor plan

The Labor government will order every police officer in England and Wales to undergo mandatory training on combating violence against women and girls, the Guardian has learned.

The plan, drawn up by the party, comes after reports of Elish Angiolini on Thursday over the Wayne Couzens scandal, which was The murder of Sarah Everard while in the Metropolitan Police Service.

Under the plan, a former police chief will advise the party on the best training for police and what topics should be covered.

Labor bosses believe training must be mandatory. Currently, the level of training in protecting women depends on individual forces, police officers and crime commissioners.

Olivia Pinkney, who will become Hampshire’s chief constable in 2023, will advise Labor on the scheme. She served in Sussex Police and worked for His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, the police watchdog.

Pinckney said: “Raising police standards and improving force culture is vital work. I hope my experience of thirty years in policing will be helpful to Labour’s plans.”

The training aims to make police more aware of the signs of male violence against women and girls, including signs of partner abuse, stalking, harassment or street abuse.

Labor hopes improved police skills will give victims more confidence to come forward, support prosecutions and regain public trust in the criminal justice system.

The College of Policing, which sets standards for law enforcement, offers online and in-person learning modules but does not mandate them. Labor favors face-to-face training, arguing it is more effective.

A Labor source said: “A lot has been left to the powers that be to decide what to do. After Angiolini and other scandals, there has to be something more credible.

“This must be a priority for every police chief and force. This is not just a tick-box exercise; this must be meaningful.”

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “A series of catastrophic failures highlights why we urgently need police officers to be properly trained to tackle violence against women and girls. This means a coercive state standards so that all forces follow best practice. We will work with former Chief Constable Olivia Pinkney to develop training that is practical and of the highest standards.”

Crime is expected to be a key issue in the upcoming election. Cooper accused the Conservative government of doing too little to address a series of scandals involving police failure towards women or wider policing culture.

The most serious of these were Couzens’ murder of Everard in March 2021 and the revelation that his Met and Diplomatic Protection Command colleague David Carrick was one of Britain’s worst serial killers One of the sex offenders who pleaded guilty to 85 offences.