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Rebuilding trust in the Met - London mayor sets out plan

Getty Images Sadiq Khan and a Met officerGetty Images

London mayor Sadiq Khan has published a plan to restore the reputation of the Met Police after public trust in the force hit a record low.

The most recent figures indicate only half of London's population believe the Met does a good job.

Strategies to reduce and prevent crime, to offer victims more support, and strengthen the response to the drugs trade have also been outlined.

Ending violence against women and girls has been identified as a priority.

Mr Khan, said: "Tackling crime and making London safer is my number one priority.

"Thanks to our relentless efforts over recent years and record investment from City Hall, violent crime continues to fall.

"But there's still much more to do to prevent violence and to stop the terrible loss of young lives in our city."

Reuters Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick holds her glasses during the delivery of a statement outside the Old BaileReuters
The Met Police has endured a series of scandals which prompted the resignation of commissioner Dame Cressida Dick

Outgoing Met Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick said there was "always more to do to tackle crime and to do so while maintaining our communities' trust and confidence".

She said she was confident that "with the right financial and public support, the exceptional men and women of the Met will continue to make this great city even safer".

The mayor is required to draft a Police and Crime Plan within a year of being elected.

The document sets out a three-year plan to implement his ideas of the reforms needed within the Met Police in order to restore public trust and confidence, tackle disproportionality in the use of certain police powers, and improve the level of neighbourhood policing Londoners receive in their communities.

Nearly 4,000 people took part in the consultation - including victims of crime, community groups and businesses.

As part of this work, the mayor's office said it had published its biggest review of victims services in London and will release a refreshed strategy for tackling all forms of violence against women and girls, "addressing misogynistic attitudes and behaviours and encouraging men to challenge sexism and misogyny whenever they see it".

Four areas have been highlighted as especially important:

  • Reducing and preventing violence affecting young people; making London a city in which women and girls are safer and feel safer; reducing reoffending by the most violent and high-risk groups; preventing hate crime; and working together to prevent terrorism.
  • Increasing public trust in the Met and reducing gaps in confidence between different groups; ensuring that the Met engages with Londoners and treats them fairly; and ensuring that the Met, borough councils and all community safety partners respond to neighbourhood crimes such as burglary and anti-social behaviour.
  • Improving the service and support that victims receive from the Met and the criminal justice service; working to ensure victims receive a better criminal justice response and outcome; and reducing the number of repeat victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence.
  • Reducing the number of young people and adults who are exploited or harmed; keeping young people in the justice system supported and safe; and ensuring that Londoners are protected in public, in private and online.

Under Mr Khan's plan, additional funding of £2m will go to the Met Police to provide additional resources to tackle the supply of drugs across the capital.

The Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) has also commissioned a series of reports into knife crime and the drivers of violent crime, which will be published this year.

PA Media Metropolitan Police officers in a linePA Media
The mayor is required to draft a Police and Crime Plan within a year of being elected

Claire Waxman, London's independent victim commissioner said she "strongly welcomes" the plan, which "rightly prioritises the rights and needs of victims".

She added: "I am also pleased to see clear acknowledgement that public trust and confidence have been damaged and urgently need to be rebuilt.

"It is crucial for the individual wellbeing and protection of victims and for wider public safety that victims feel able to come forward to report and the mayor's new police and crime plan will help us achieve this in London."

Jas Athwal, London Councils' executive member for crime and public protection, said: "London needs a police service that is fair, trusted, diverse and effective.

"We welcome the expectations on radically improving the Metropolitan Police's culture and practices to urgently build back trust and confidence, particularly among women and ethnic minority communities.

"Reducing and preventing violence is a top priority for boroughs right across London, especially tackling violence against women and girls, and it is positive to see this reflected in the plan."

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