The Freedom Shropshire updates have been finished and are now live. The new look website is fully working!

There is one particularly exciting feature which enables you to view the website via your mobile/tablet or desktop in the best format possible; the website will take you, automatically, to the best layout for your device.

In simple terms, this means if you’re viewing via the Freedom Shropshire website via a smartphone, for example, the web page you want to view will load much more rapidly and will be a better fit for you.

We’d love to know what you think of the new layout and features: you can get involved Facebook, Twitter or the WordPress Blog. You can share any website page on your own social media wall or feed much more easily too with the buttons at the bottom or top of the screen.

We’ll carry on adding more content to make this website increasingly useful for all the people who live and work in Shropshire and beyond.

If you spot any errors or find links to web pages which do not work, please let us know via Facebook, Twitter, our WordPress Blog or e-mail.

We’ve spent a lot of time and effort sourcing and collating information about staying safe online, including help sections for the most common sorts of browsers – on how to delete your browsing history and hide or delete your time spent online. You can find it on the Freedom Shropshire Website at ‘How To Cover Your Tracks’: www.freedomshropshire.org.uk/howtocoveryourtracks.html

Andy Berry (Freedom Shropshire Web Manager) and the Freedom Shropshire Team

Freedom Shropshire

The Freedom Shropshire Website has almost completed a revamp designed to freshen it up. After nearly two years it has needed a little bit of work to keep it looking and feeling good and easy to use! We’ll continue adding to it so if you have anything you feel it is missing, let us know!

There are some new features which you’ll find once it ‘goes live’ which we’re really excited about as well.

We’ve spent a lot of time making it easier to get around the website as well as tidying it up. We will let you know when it goes live but we’re hoping to finish all the revamping work over the weekend.

Have a great Bank Holiday Weekend.

Andy Berry (Web Manager) and the Freedom Shropshire Team

Today Refuge and the family of Maria Stubbings are calling for the government to open a public inquiry into the response of the police and other state agencies to victims of domestic violence.

Maria Stubbings was murdered by her former partner in 2008, despite making repeated calls for help to Essex Police. Please see the full story here: www.refuge.org.uk/maria

Press coverage of the story can also be found here: http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-22603763 and here:

http://m.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/may/21/murdered-domestic-violence-victim-inquiry-police-failings

Sadly, Maria’s story is all too common. Every week two women in England and Wales are killed by a current or former partner – countless other women are let down by police forces and other state agencies across the country every day.

We are urging our supporters to sign an e-petition calling on the government to open a public inquiry into the police and state response to victims of domestic violence.

We really need your support to strengthen our call – the lives of women and children depend on it. Please sign here: http://you.38degrees.org.uk/p/maria

Click here to tweet the link to the petition to your followers.

Your voice counts – together we can create real change for women and children.

Jo Berry and the Freedom Shropshire Team

National Stalking Awareness Day – 18th April 2013

National Stalking Awareness Day exists to raise awareness about the crime of stalking. And although the law is currently different in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, stalking is against the law across the UK.

Stalking and harassment is behaviour that is repeated and unwanted by the victim. The behaviour can seem ordinary and normal, but if a person keeps repeating the behaviour this can cause distress to another person. The type of behaviour can include:

Unwanted contact whether in person, via the telephone or over the internet, Driving past the victim’s home or workplace, Following, watching or loitering near the victim, Sending letters or unwanted gifts, Burglary or damaging property, Threats to kill, Physical or sexual assault of the victim.

In Scotland, services have got together to launch two films to raise awareness and send a clear message for people to ‘Take Stalking Seriously’:

If you or someone you know is being made to feel harassed or intimidated by the behaviour of another person and you need some guidance or information call:

The National Stalking Helpline: 0808 802 0300

Jo Berry

Freedom Shropshire

Share your views with the PCC on his Police & Crime Plan – only a few days of consultation left

The Draft Police & Crime Plan for West Mercia for 2013 – 2017 was made available for all to see on the Police & Crime Commissioner’s website: www.westmercia-pcc.gov.uk earlier this month.

Bill Longmore, the Police & Crime Commissioner for West Mercia is asking for views and comments by 28th January, although he will review and consider comments sent before 15th February. You can email: opcc or write to the PCC: OPCC West Mercia, PO Box 487, Shrewsbury SY2 6WB

There are 4 strategic aims in the plan: to ensure an efficient and effective police service is delivered, to reduce crime and disorder, to protect communities from harm and to provide a strong and powerful voice for the people and victims of crime. With these objectives in mind, let’s be confident in responding to our PCC about our concerns around domestic abuse.

There are 13 actions in the plan and the two actions that are most likely to relate to domestic abuse issues are the actions around protecting vulnerable people and providing supportive and effective responses to victim and witnesses.

It is encouraging that the development of these objectives in the draft policing plan laid out by our first PCC has been informed by a range of research, including specialists in DV.

Jo Berry & The Freedom Shropshire Team