The Met currently has the worst victim satisfaction rating (74%) of any police service in the country, and lags behind other large forces such as Greater Manchester and West Midlands.
Assembly Members have called on the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime, which sets the Met’s budget and strategic priorities, to set the force “challenging” targets to improve its rating.
They also want the Met to work with victim support groups to design better training for frontline officers and ensure all victims have “suitable” access to officers to allow them to report crime.
Committee chair Joanne McCartney said: “Our investigation into the care and support offered to victims of crime shows that Londoners are not getting the service they deserve, nor that the police want to deliver.”
AMs say they are “pleased” with Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe’s introduction of a Total Victim Care policy which commits the Met to improving the service victims of crime receive.
However Assembly Member McCartney said the committee was “concerned that the commitment to improving victim support could be undermined by the significant upheaval and budget cuts in the police service.”
Responding to the report, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Helen Ball said the Met has “seen a 3% increase in victim satisfaction” since Total Victim Care was introduced.
She added: “Victim focus will remain a priority and we will continue rolling out proactive initiatives, such as offering all victims of crime a visit from a police officer, which has so far resulted in an additional 9,500 visits.
”As the Commissioner has made clear, the Met wants to be the best police service. For those recommendations that we have not already taken action on, we will now see how they can assist us to improve and provide victims of crime the consistent, professional service they deserve.”
