Operation Guardians: 60 domestic abuse offenders arrested as part of 72-hour operation

The force-wide operation saw the Constabulary shine a light on domestic abuse by holding online webchats, speaking with schools and continuing the ongoing work with partners.

In custody suites, MyCWA – a charity which provides emotional, personal and practical support to families across the county affected by domestic abuse - highlighted their Lifeline programme that looks at unhealthy behaviours in relationships and offers practical support to evoke lasting change in offenders of domestic abuse.

Through social media, the force asked the public to think about what constitutes domestic abuse and sparked a conversation to put domestic abuse at the forefront of people’s minds.

T/Assistant Chief Constable Una Jennings said: “The aim of Operation Guardians was to target offenders but also show that domestic abuse can affect anyone regardless of gender, age or race.

“Across the 72 hours, our officers continued with business as usual while also putting an extra focus on arresting those suspected of being involved in domestic abuse, raising awareness and checking in on those who have been affected by this type of crime.

“Domestic abuse is one of the biggest challenges we face in Cheshire and I hope that this has shown we are doing all we can to stamp it out.

“I would like to reiterate that domestic abuse is not normal and every case is different.

“I would urge anyone who has been or is currently affected by domestic abuse to seek support and if they feel they can, please report any concerns to us and we will do the rest.”

Anyone who wishes to report domestic abuse or has any concerns can call 101 or report online via the Cheshire Police website.

If you have been affected by the coverage of domestic abuse or do not want to speak to police but would like some advice, please visit the Open the Door website.