Inspector receives Queen's Policing Medal for work on domestic abuse

An Inspector who was awarded a prestigious Queen's Policing Medal for her dedication and commitment to victims of domestic abuse has finally been able to receive the award.

Insp Deborah Ashthorpe was one of those to receive the honour during the pandemic, having been recognised in Her Late Majesty's Birthday Honours back in 2020.

A sergeant at the time, she was honoured for providing innovative and excellent services to victims of domestic abuse in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

She played an instrumental role in an evidence based programme, aimed at changing perpetrator behaviours, reducing risk and repeat offending.

Debbie has also worked closely with the Crown Prosecution Service and domestic abuse charities and academics to evaluate the effectiveness of that programme.

As well raising investigative standards in domestic abuse incidents, Debbie's knowledge and experience helped play a key role in rolling out training to operational teams within Hampshire Constabulary.

She has worked with a domestic abuse charity, Aurora New Dawn, to introduce Domestic Violence Advocate Cars – where police and experts jointly respond to domestic abuse calls in order to give a holistic victim response.

And she leads on Continual Professional Development for domestic abuse champions within Hampshire Constabulary – having trained 450 staff in this role. The focus is consistently on protecting victims, reducing vulnerability, upskilling colleagues and partners to emphasise the importance of supporting victims of domestic abuse.

As a result of this work, Deborah also developed and led the national Domestic Abuse Champions network, setting the groundwork for real culture change across UK police forces in relation to domestic abuse.

Last week, Debbie, who joined Hampshire Constabulary in 1992, was finally able to receive her QPM, being presented the medal by Princess Anne.

Insp Asthorpe said: "I am completely honoured to receive the Queen’s Policing Medal. It was incredible to be at the Palace with my daughters and receive it from Princess Anne.

"I have been in the police for many years, and seen much improvement in how we respond to domestic abuse. We need to stay on that road, improving what we do.

"I am proud to work with many police and staff who work tirelessly to tackle the many faces of domestic abuse and keep people safe, knowing how it destroys lives, families and communities.

"I hope we can one day live in a world free from abuse. Thank you to everyone who works to keep people safe. And thank you for this amazing award."