2018
Royal Newfoundland Constabulary
Constable Lindsay Dillon, Malin Enström, and Constable Nadia Churchill
The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Intimate Partner Violence Unit is a small but dedicated team committed to reducing intimate partner violence through early identification, mitigation and intervention, and building trusting relationships with victims and communities throughout the Northeast Avalon, Corner Brook, and Labrador West regions. Constable Lindsay Dillon, Constable Nadia Churchill, and Ms. Malin Enström are demonstrating what the RNC commitment to building safe and healthy communities together truly means.
Their service delivery excellence is based on a person-centered approach to reaching victims and survivors of intimate partner violence through engagement and building trust. The Intimate Partner Violence Unit excels at establishing and maintaining collaborative relationships with community partners and they are helping to eradicate barriers for people experiencing this form of violence through implementing innovative initiatives. The unit also builds capacity amongst officers and community stakeholders through developing and delivering training focused on victim safety and sensitivity.
In addition to the direct benefits the work of the Intimate Partner Violence Unit is having on victims and survivors, the unit has also positively impacted the RNC overall by facilitating and encouraging a victim-centered, trauma-informed approach for all officers. The unit reinforces the message of the importance of recognizing the power imbalance between partners in a relationship and the dynamics that exist which perpetuate the cycle of violence.
Several innovative initiatives that support victims and survivors of intimate partner violence are:
The Pet Safekeeping Program, which provides emergency shelter for pets belonging to victims with the intention of reducing barriers for people leaving violent relationships.
The Lock Exchange Program, which installs replacement locks at the homes of women who are in need due to fear of violence.
The Cell Phone Program, which provides mobile phones to survivors of intimate partner violence who have had their phone damaged or stolen, and are in need of one.
The Intimate Partner Violence Unit’s person-centered approach is helping victims feel respected, heard, and safe. The trust that is being built by the unit throughout the community helps build public confidence in policing.