DA video first response is faster than face-to-face, but little impact on arrests and outcomes, says evaluation

21st October 2025Sarah Gibbons, Contributing Editor, Policing Insight

A College of Policing evaluation of the use of a video first response (VFR) approach to non-emergency domestic abuse calls has found that VFR can significantly reduce response times for victims, while also improving victim safeguarding and perceptions of being believed by officers – but there’s little evidence so far to suggest an increase in positive criminal justice outcomes, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

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DA video first response is faster than face-to-face, but little impact on arrests and outcomes, says evaluation

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