Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has vowed to put victims’ voices at “the heart of everything we do” as he unveiled a dedicated phone helpline ahead of a major summit.
Sir Mark and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan hope the free phoneline will make it easier for victims of crime in the capital to access key information about their cases.
The service, funded by a new £3 million annual investment from City Hall, was unveiled on Friday in advance of a victims’ summit in central London.
The £3 million funding will also increase the number of Met staff responsible for victim care and signpost victims to specialist support services, Mr Khan’s team said.
London’s Victims’ Commissioner Claire Waxman OBE will host the conference, bringing together victims of crime, community advocates and senior figures in criminal justice.
Sir Mark, Mr Khan, director of public prosecutions for England and Wales Max Hill KC and victims and sentencing minister Edward Argar are all due to speak at the event.
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— Sir Mark Rowley
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 co-ordination 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 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.”
At Friday’s summit, broadcaster and journalist Victoria Derbyshire is set to quiz Sir Mark about his vision for better victim service from the police.
“We must consistently provide victims with a compassionate and effective service – this is one of the nine top priorities in my draft turnaround plan,” Sir Mark added.
“Every victim should be able to expect a prompt and appropriate response to their call for assistance and I have already committed that police officers will attend every house burglary that is reported.
“We are already investing in areas where we are falling short.
“We know that capacity in our call-handling teams has not matched demand and this impacts the level of service we can provide.
“As a result, we have ring-fenced £2.5 million to reform our command-and-control function.”
His turnaround plan aims to restore trust and raise standards in the force, acknowledging that “confidence in the Met has been falling” after a slew of high-profile scandals.
Mr Khan said: “The more time you spend with victims, the more you appreciate the extent to which crime blights lives.
“It can be – and often is – a devastating, violating and traumatising experience.
“It is imperative, therefore, that in their interactions with the authorities – the very institutions that are there to serve and protect them – victims are treated with the utmost compassion, sensitivity and respect.
“That’s why I’ve provided an additional £3 million per year to significantly improve the support victims receive in their journey through the criminal justice system.
“Successful prosecution of cases often rely on victims’ testimonies, so we need to do much more to inspire victims’ confidence.”
