What are the practicalities of visor visits?
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My person has yet to be sentenced but we know that a custodial is likely. Once released does anyone know how often visor will visit? How does it work in practical terms? Do they schedule appointments or just turn up? If he is living with me, I go into the office every day but would prefer to be there. And is this the same as the police coming to spot check devices – I’ve heard they just turn up when they feel like it? What if you are out – do they see this as bad because the person is daring to live their life? And do they come in police cars? My street is small and it would look obvious if a police car and officers were regularly visiting. Do visor ask the partner any questions about their own behaviour or if I personally watch porn etc? What sort of intrusive questions do they ask? Will they look through our house when they visit? How long does a visor visit last?
Sorry for all the questions I am just trying to prepare myself for the practicalities of if I stay long term!
Sorry for all the questions I am just trying to prepare myself for the practicalities of if I stay long term!
Hi Lucy,
My person doesn't live with me so I'm answering using what he has told me. Visor are the police, they do just drop in it's not an appointment system. The visits last under an hour after the initial visit. I have my persons visors number and email address and have met her once alongside his probation officer as I requested a meeting. They aren't uniformed or in a marked car usually, although I have read accounts on here of officers in uniform taking over if the offender is low risk. They shouldn't ask you about your behaviour or check your devices unless your partner has access to them. They can look around the house but in 20 months they have done this once. They visit in line with the persons risk level, I was told that visor are led by probation on risk level. My person is medium and has visits approximately three months apart. I think high risk is a minimum of 6 visits per year, medium a minimum of 4 and low 2. This may vary between forces/areas and their guidance changes often. If your partner is not at home when they visit they just call again at another time, if they are unsuccessful after a few attempts they would then contact the probation officer to see if they are attending their appointments or possibly call your partner and ask them to come to the station. It isn't viewed negatively because they do have a right to a life. The main thing is that the offender is traceable via the sor so making sure he knows when he has to sign is a good thing to do. Once he's assigned a visor you can ask for their contact details and request a meeting if you want to, I've found my persons one to be approachable and if I'm concerned with anything she has answered my questions. I hope this helps xxx
My person doesn't live with me so I'm answering using what he has told me. Visor are the police, they do just drop in it's not an appointment system. The visits last under an hour after the initial visit. I have my persons visors number and email address and have met her once alongside his probation officer as I requested a meeting. They aren't uniformed or in a marked car usually, although I have read accounts on here of officers in uniform taking over if the offender is low risk. They shouldn't ask you about your behaviour or check your devices unless your partner has access to them. They can look around the house but in 20 months they have done this once. They visit in line with the persons risk level, I was told that visor are led by probation on risk level. My person is medium and has visits approximately three months apart. I think high risk is a minimum of 6 visits per year, medium a minimum of 4 and low 2. This may vary between forces/areas and their guidance changes often. If your partner is not at home when they visit they just call again at another time, if they are unsuccessful after a few attempts they would then contact the probation officer to see if they are attending their appointments or possibly call your partner and ask them to come to the station. It isn't viewed negatively because they do have a right to a life. The main thing is that the offender is traceable via the sor so making sure he knows when he has to sign is a good thing to do. Once he's assigned a visor you can ask for their contact details and request a meeting if you want to, I've found my persons one to be approachable and if I'm concerned with anything she has answered my questions. I hope this helps xxx
My partner had a suspended sentence issued in 2019, since then he has had a mix of surprise and arrnaged inspections.
The frequency is based on risk and the police availability. For us they always come as plain clothes and normal cars. And there is always two attending. I too prefer to be there but can't always be the case.
Inspections of devices are the ones he has access to, they dont check my devices. Sometimes they just ask him to come to the police station as it is easier for them.
Frequency is about once every 6 months. We have had only one 'surprise' visit but we literally left in the car as they turned into our road- honestly didn't spot them and they saw us but we're not concerned that they missed us. They just rang to let him know they tried to see him a d then arrnaged a catch up.
If they don't have concerns and it is just a spot check I assume based on my experience that they will just ask to arrnage a catch up soon after what was meant to be a 'surprise'.
Others might confirm this, but if they have concerns (i.e internet activity flagged) they will make the effort to reach out asap to resolve the issue. I guess if an offender does t respond to the chasing e.g. phone calls, they will go to the registered address to locate the offender. But we never had this issue.
I have met with the police liaison a out ten times, and I feel like she is professional and does t sugar coat anything, and I respect that. It isn't a 'friendly' relationship ofc, but after a few visits I'm not too nervous.
My partner also has monitoring tech on his devices, so if something flags they either visit or contact him to clarify the flagged issue.
There have been times my heart has dropped when they do checks and flag something they have concerns with. One time it was a video shared on a group chat we are both in that had footage of a child- totally innocent content. But what worried the police was whether the child was a child of my friends- aka my partner could have access to the child. Had to clarify it was a viral video online and we had no idea who the child was. The people in the chat know if the offence and we have asked them to be avoid posting images and vids of their kids, which they respect and follow, but it didn't occur to then this applied to viral vids.
The police had no issue with this in the end once it was clarified, and we let the group know to not post any kids- to avoid the flagging.
I guess my point for this situation is that the police, at least the ones we are involved with, don't jump to scary conclusions - they just need to make sure it is verified that a SHPO breach has occurred.
The frequency is based on risk and the police availability. For us they always come as plain clothes and normal cars. And there is always two attending. I too prefer to be there but can't always be the case.
Inspections of devices are the ones he has access to, they dont check my devices. Sometimes they just ask him to come to the police station as it is easier for them.
Frequency is about once every 6 months. We have had only one 'surprise' visit but we literally left in the car as they turned into our road- honestly didn't spot them and they saw us but we're not concerned that they missed us. They just rang to let him know they tried to see him a d then arrnaged a catch up.
If they don't have concerns and it is just a spot check I assume based on my experience that they will just ask to arrnage a catch up soon after what was meant to be a 'surprise'.
Others might confirm this, but if they have concerns (i.e internet activity flagged) they will make the effort to reach out asap to resolve the issue. I guess if an offender does t respond to the chasing e.g. phone calls, they will go to the registered address to locate the offender. But we never had this issue.
I have met with the police liaison a out ten times, and I feel like she is professional and does t sugar coat anything, and I respect that. It isn't a 'friendly' relationship ofc, but after a few visits I'm not too nervous.
My partner also has monitoring tech on his devices, so if something flags they either visit or contact him to clarify the flagged issue.
There have been times my heart has dropped when they do checks and flag something they have concerns with. One time it was a video shared on a group chat we are both in that had footage of a child- totally innocent content. But what worried the police was whether the child was a child of my friends- aka my partner could have access to the child. Had to clarify it was a viral video online and we had no idea who the child was. The people in the chat know if the offence and we have asked them to be avoid posting images and vids of their kids, which they respect and follow, but it didn't occur to then this applied to viral vids.
The police had no issue with this in the end once it was clarified, and we let the group know to not post any kids- to avoid the flagging.
I guess my point for this situation is that the police, at least the ones we are involved with, don't jump to scary conclusions - they just need to make sure it is verified that a SHPO breach has occurred.
Thank you both for your answers, they’re very informative!
I think I can deal with the visits, if it means they trust my partner is not doing anything wrong and it keeps him on the straight and narrow. So if visor only visit every few months or so, what do probation do that’s different if they visit weekly?
I’m worried what counts as flagged internet activity, if they ban him watching porn does this mean I can’t watch it on my device as it’s the same wifi? Or is it just on his specific devices using monitoring software?
That’s crazy that a viral video was flagged but it makes sense they have to check everything. Do they look at every conversation he has on his phone? My OH used to chat to a lot of friends and was in a fair few group chats, doubt he will be in future but if he was that would be an awful lot of conversations to look through when they visit
I think I can deal with the visits, if it means they trust my partner is not doing anything wrong and it keeps him on the straight and narrow. So if visor only visit every few months or so, what do probation do that’s different if they visit weekly?
I’m worried what counts as flagged internet activity, if they ban him watching porn does this mean I can’t watch it on my device as it’s the same wifi? Or is it just on his specific devices using monitoring software?
That’s crazy that a viral video was flagged but it makes sense they have to check everything. Do they look at every conversation he has on his phone? My OH used to chat to a lot of friends and was in a fair few group chats, doubt he will be in future but if he was that would be an awful lot of conversations to look through when they visit
Hi,
In my area probation don't visit, my person had weekly appointments with probation for the first couple of months and then moved to monthly but he has to go to their office rather than them coming to the house. Probation can ask to check devices but they don't often in my persons experience. Probation is meant to be more about rehabilitation so they ask general questions about mental health, relationships, work and contact with children within the family and friends circle. Visor also ask general questions but they are more interested in monitoring devices for illegal activity.
Nobody will ban your partner from watching porn so please don't worry about watching it yourself on your own devices, I don't believe this would flag anything. My person has banned himself as it is an addiction for him and is how we came to be in this situation. His visor has said to him a few times that they wouldn't be concerned if he was to watch anything that's legal. That for them is where the line is but for him he is choosing not to xxx
In my area probation don't visit, my person had weekly appointments with probation for the first couple of months and then moved to monthly but he has to go to their office rather than them coming to the house. Probation can ask to check devices but they don't often in my persons experience. Probation is meant to be more about rehabilitation so they ask general questions about mental health, relationships, work and contact with children within the family and friends circle. Visor also ask general questions but they are more interested in monitoring devices for illegal activity.
Nobody will ban your partner from watching porn so please don't worry about watching it yourself on your own devices, I don't believe this would flag anything. My person has banned himself as it is an addiction for him and is how we came to be in this situation. His visor has said to him a few times that they wouldn't be concerned if he was to watch anything that's legal. That for them is where the line is but for him he is choosing not to xxx
Thank you for your reply! That's very helpful to know. I hope my partner bans himself from porn like yours and chat rooms so I don't have to worry about any of that, but I believe you can place blockers to websites straight at the wifi router so will be doing that too xx
There is an app called accountable 2 you. Have a look at it. My person now has police monitoring software but we were looking into getting this if they hadn't put the software on xxx
Edited to say that covenant eyes is one for images I believe. Think it's been said before that there isn't one that does both xxx
Edited to say that covenant eyes is one for images I believe. Think it's been said before that there isn't one that does both xxx