Met Police given £3m to overhaul treatment of crime victims

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has announced a £3m yearly money to overhaul however the Met treats victims of crime.

It volition beryllium utilized to money a escaped phoneline for victims and marque it easier for them to entree cardinal accusation astir their case.

Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said it would assistance enactment victims' voices astatine the "heart of everything we do".

It volition besides boost the fig of unit liable for caring for victims and nonstop them to enactment services.

The announcement came arsenic it emerged that 1 successful 3 victims of transgression successful London was unsatisfied with the Met's level of service, according to a report by the mayor's office.

Sir Mark said his officers and unit did "a large occupation successful the immense bulk of cases" but that sometimes their follow-up and co-ordination with specializer unfortunate enactment was not bully enough.

"That is wherefore we are harnessing caller exertion and creating a dedicated squad to boost our service," helium added.

"I cognize my full work wants to enactment the unfortunate dependable astatine the bosom of everything we do.

"We are committed to listening to victims' experiences and utilizing this feedback to instrumentality the applicable measures that volition marque a existent quality for victims."

Mr Khan said that transgression "blights lives" and it was "imperative" that victims were "treated with the utmost compassion, sensitivity and respect".

"That's wherefore I've provided an further £3m per twelvemonth to importantly amended the enactment victims person successful their travel done the transgression justness system," helium added.

"Successful prosecution of cases often trust connected victim's testimonies, truthful we request to bash overmuch much to animate victims' confidence."

Under the proposals different £2.5m would spell to amended the Command and Control Centre, handling exigency calls and emails.

The currency volition assistance Sir Mark to rise standards and rebuild nationalist assurance and spot successful the unit arsenic portion of its two-year "Turnaround Plan".

Mr Khan is owed to unveil the plans during a code astatine the Victims' Summit successful London connected Friday which bring unneurotic victims of crime, assemblage advocates and elder figures successful transgression justice.

He is besides expected to telephone connected the authorities to guarantee victims rights are enforceable done the transportation of a Victims Bill.

London's Victims' Commissioner, Claire Waxman, welcomed the concern due to the fact that it would "greatly help" amended the force's work to victims.