ABSTRACT
This chapter documents our journey of testing the ideas set out in this book in police practice. In 2021, we were given the opportunity to do so first in Avon and Somerset Police as part of “Project Bluestone”, and then in further police forces in England and Wales as part of “Operation Soteria Bluestone”. Operation Soteria Bluestone is a government-funded, police-academic collaboration aimed at transformational change in police responses to rape and other sexual offences. Its objectives include improving outcome justice (charges and convictions) as well as victim-survivors’ experience of the justice process. The programme is based on the six-pillar framework set out in the previous chapters of this book. The programme gave rise to the first National Operating Model (NOM) for the investigation of rape and serious sexual offences in England and Wales. The NOM is now being adopted by all police forces in England and Wales. Emerging findings suggest significant improvements in police practice in some of the initial partner police force areas. The challenge lies in the replicability, scalability and long-term sustainability of the approach.
