Met Police given £3m to enhance support for victims of crime

The mayor of London Sadiq Khan has announced a £3m annual fund to enhance and expand the support the Met Police offers victims of crime in London.

The City Hall funding will be used to set up a new, free phone line for victims and make it easier for them to access key information about their case.

The funds will also increase the number of Met staff responsible for victim care and signpost victims to specialist support services.

The announcement came as it emerged that one in three victims of crime in London was unsatisfied with the Met’s level of service, according to a report by the mayor’s office.

Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said the service will help put victims’ voices at “the heart of everything we do.”

Sir Mark said: “Our officers and staff often interact with people during the most traumatic moments of their lives.

"They do a great job in the vast majority of cases but the stretch on their time and the nature of our work sometimes means our follow up and coordination with specialist victim support is not good enough.

"That is why we are harnessing new technology and creating a dedicated team to boost our service.

“I know my entire service wants to put the victim’s voice at the heart of everything we do.

“We are committed to listening to victims’ experiences and using this feedback to implement the practical measures that will make a real difference for victims.”

The funding was announced at the Victims Summit in London where representatives from across the UK justice system and victims of crime came together to share the urgent need for change in the system.

Speakers included Max Hill KC, Victims and Sentencing Minister, Edward Argar MP and Justice Minister of Québec Simon Jolin-Barrette.

Speaking at the event at Queen Elizabeth II centre, the mayor told LondonWorld that it was important to recognise that many victims “don’t receive the quality of service they deserve.”

“That’s why I’ve provided an additional £3m per year to significantly improve the support victims receive in their journey through the criminal justice system.

“Successful prosecution of cases often rely on victim’s testimonies, so we need to do much more to inspire victims’ confidence.

“We’ve got to make sure that the service is bespoke for the victims of crime so their experience is a better one than it currently is.”

In January the mayor announced £14.2 m of funding for the Met Police to be spent on leadership training.

£2.5m would go to improve the Command and Control Centre, handling emergency calls and emails.

This is part of the “Turnaround Plan” for the Met, aimed at helping the force out of the police inspectorate’s special measures, or “engage”, programme.

London’s Victims’ Commissioner, Claire Waxman OBE, said: “I welcome the mayor’s investment today, as this will greatly help the Metropolitan Police improve their service to victims.

“But today goes beyond the mayor and the police; this is about all partners working towards a whole systems change in the way victims are regarded and treated by our justice system.”