Operation RedLine – improved management of domestic risk

The aim of Operation RedLine is to proactively identify and disrupt high-risk domestic abuse perpetrators in the Norwich district who are not currently managed under the domestic abuse perpetrator partnership approach (DAPPA) programme. 

The operation seeks to reduce harm and reoffending by:

• disrupting offenders by any lawful means, including tactical enforcement and multi-agency interventions
• improving the enforcement and management of domestic violence protection notices and orders (DVPN and DVPOs), ensuring compliance and follow-up actions are completed
• shifting the focus from victims to perpetrators, enabling earlier intervention and safeguarding

• targeting a small, high-harm cohort for intensive monitoring and disruption, based on intelligence and operational data

The intended outcomes of Operation RedLine are:

• reduced reoffending and harm through early intervention, targeted enforcement, and coordinated multi-agency action
• improved enforcement and management of DVPNs and DVPOs, ensuring compliance visits are completed and breaches are acted upon swiftly
• enhanced safeguarding of victims by shifting the operational focus onto perpetrators and reducing the burden on victims
• increased visibility and intelligence sharing, with overt flags and real-time alerts across policing systems
• strengthened multi-agency collaboration, ensuring a unified approach to risk assessment, disruption planning, and safeguarding
• organisational learning and best practice development, shared through forums like the domestic abuse delivery group (DADG)

Background

Operation RedLine was initiated in response to the operational gap in managing high-risk domestic abuse perpetrators who are not currently engaged through existing frameworks such as DAPPA. These individuals often pose significant risk but evade prosecution because of evidential challenges.

Additionally, there was a recognised need to improve the enforcement and oversight of DVPNs and DVPOs, which were not consistently monitored or followed up. Operation RedLine addresses both issues by focusing on proactive disruption and improved management of protective measures.

Planning process

The initiative was designed by district command in collaboration with strategic business and operational support (SBOS). Planning involved applying the DAPPA framework risk assessment via the risk factor grid (RFG) to identify high-harm domestic abuse perpetrators who are not currently managed under DAPPA. This targeted approach ensures that resources are focused on individuals causing the greatest harm but not yet subject to formal offender management.

The planning process also reviewed the current handling of DVPNs and DVPOs, identifying gaps in enforcement and compliance monitoring. As a result, Operation RedLine is embedded as a structured mechanism to ensure that all active DVPNs and DVPOs are reviewed, with compliance visits tasked and tracked as part of the operational workflow.

Roles and teams involved

• Lead inspector (county policing command) - oversees cohort selection and operational delivery.
• District chief inspector - chairs monthly Operation RedLine meetings and provides strategic oversight.
• SBOS team - applies the DAPPA risk assessment framework to identify suitable subjects.
• Intelligence support unit (ISU) - produces detailed subject profiles and supports briefing processes.
• Domestic abuse safeguarding team - coordinates safeguarding actions and partnership engagement.
• Neighbourhood team - takes action to disrupt targeted individuals, manages compliance checks for DVPNs and DVPOs, monitors offending and intelligence, participates in monthly meetings, presents findings, explores adoption of new subjects, and takes ownership of local delivery.
• District crime unit, Norfolk integrated domestic abuse service (NIDAS), legal services, MAPPA, DAPPA - contribute to risk assessment, disruption planning, and enforcement.

Implementation process

Subjects are identified using the DAPPA framework risk assessment, with scores compared against the RFG to highlight high-risk individuals who are not currently adopted under DAPPA. This ensures RedLine targets the most harmful perpetrators not yet subject to formal offender management.

Monitoring is coordinated through the use of Microsoft (MS) Teams, where individual officers are tasked with specific actions. MS Teams is accessible via force-issued mobile phones, enabling live tracking and monitoring of activity. Updated tasks and outcomes are then recorded on Athena, the force record management system, ensuring visibility and accountability across all relevant teams and enabling consistent review and coordination.

Monthly meetings review activity, assign new actions, and ensure all protective orders are enforced. All domestic abuse offences involving Operation RedLine subjects are prioritised and managed accordingly.

Funding and approval

Operation RedLine did not require external funding. It was implemented using existing resources and personnel within Norfolk Constabulary. Any additional support, such as toolkit development or data analysis, was absorbed within departmental budgets.

The initiative received approval from senior district leadership, including the district chief inspector. It aligns with strategic priorities around domestic abuse reduction, offender management, and safeguarding, and is supported by the DADG for oversight and organisational learning.

An evaluation is planned and will be led by Norfolk Constabulary.

To evaluate Operation RedLine, the force will assess its effectiveness and impact across several main dimensions.

Strategic alignment

• Does the initiative align with force-wide priorities on domestic abuse, safeguarding, and offender management?
• Is it complementing existing frameworks like DAPPA and MAPPA?

Operational effectiveness

• Disruption outcomes - are those targeted being effectively disrupted? Are there reductions in offending or escalation?
• DVPN/DVPO compliance - are compliance checks being completed consistently and breaches acted upon?
• Adoption process - is the cohort selection process (via DAPPA Framework and RFG) identifying the right individuals?

Multi-agency coordination

• Are partner agencies (such as NIDAS, legal services, MAPPA) actively contributing to meetings and actions?
• Is information sharing timely, relevant, and secure?

Learning and adaptation

• Are lessons learned being captured and shared via the DADG?
• Is the model scalable or adaptable to other districts?

Findings and observations from practice

Operation RedLine has demonstrated a clear operational benefit in identifying and disrupting high-risk domestic abuse perpetrators who were previously unmanaged under existing frameworks. The use of the DAPPA Framework and RFG has enabled more targeted selection, while the integration of MS Teams and Athena has improved tasking, visibility, and accountability. The monthly review process has strengthened oversight of DVPNs and DVPOs, ensuring compliance checks are completed and breaches are acted upon swiftly.

Resulting actions and wider roll-out

Due to its effectiveness in Norwich district, the Operation RedLine model has generated interest from other districts. The structured approach to offender disruption, combined with enhanced safeguarding and multi-agency coordination, is being considered as a scalable framework. Lessons learned are being shared through the DADG to inform future deployments.

Feedback from officers, staff and partners

Feedback from the neighbourhood team has been positive, particularly regarding the clarity of tasking via MS Teams  and the ability to track actions in real time using force-issued mobile devices. Partner agencies have welcomed the increased coordination and visibility of high-risk subjects, noting improved safeguarding planning and more consistent enforcement of protective orders.

What went well

• The use of the DAPPA Framework and RFG enabled precise identification of high-risk perpetrators not previously managed, ensuring resources were focused where most needed.
• The integration of MS Teams, accessible via force-issued mobile phones, allowed for real-time tasking, monitoring, and communication between officers, improving responsiveness and accountability.
• Monthly meetings provided a consistent structure for reviewing cases, assigning actions, and ensuring compliance with DVPNs and DVPOs.
• Multi-agency involvement strengthened safeguarding planning and disruption strategies, with clear ownership taken by neighbourhood teams.

Challenges faced

• Some officers were unfamiliar with using MS Teams for operational tasking, requiring informal training and support.
• Ensuring consistent updates on Athena across multiple departments was a challenge, particularly when actions were completed outside of core hours or across shift patterns.

Weaknesses

• Limited capacity to adopt more than four subjects per period restricted the scale of disruption, especially in areas with high domestic abuse prevalence
• Not all partner agencies were able to attend every monthly meeting, occasionally delaying decision-making or follow-up actions
• Neighbourhood team abstraction for other duties impacted their ability to consistently manage DVPO compliance and deliver disruption activity, reducing continuity and ownership.

Advice for others

• Start with strong data foundations, ensure risk assessment tools (such as DAPPA and RFG) are well understood and consistently applied.
• Define clear ownership - assign responsibility to local teams (such as Neighbourhood Policing) for disruption and compliance checks.
• Keep meetings focused and action-driven - monthly reviews should be concise, with clear decisions and follow-up accountability.
• Build in flexibility - allow for dynamic adoption of subjects based on emerging intelligence, not just static lists.
• Build the team strategically -  one of the main learnings from Operation RedLine is the importance of building the team with experienced, well-diversified officers. Success was notably enhanced when officers had:
  • civil order experience (for example, DVPNs, DVPOs, closure orders)
  • knowledge of anti-social behaviour powers and their tactical application
  • investigative backgrounds, enabling effective evidence gathering
  • tactical awareness, allowing for creative and lawful disruption of high-risk individuals
  • problem-solving awareness and working

This mix of skills ensured that disruption activity was lawful and impactful, and that safeguarding measures were enforced with confidence and consistency. Officers with this profile were better equipped to take ownership, respond dynamically to intelligence, and engage effectively with partner agencies.