The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has invited Londoners to have their say on his new draft Police and Crime Plan, which sets out his priorities to make the capital a safer city, and for

Londoners to feel safer. 

The consultation on the Mayor’s Plan launches today [Tuesday 16th November], as the number of police officers in the Metropolitan Police has risen to over 33,000 for the first time in 10 years[1], following record levels of City Hall investment and the partial reversal of Government cuts. 

The draft Plan sets out the Mayor’s commitment to ensure London’s police service has the resources it needs to put more officers on the streets to suppress violence, including violence against women and girls, and to respond to the demands and pressures of policing a capital city. The Plan also outlines the action the Mayor is taking to continue to hold the Met to account, ensuring all Londoners have trust and confidence in their police force. 

Figures show that violence was falling in London before the pandemic, and over the past year knife crime, youth violence and gun crime have come down further[2]. Despite a decline in overall homicides, the number of teenage homicides in London has increased this year. Continuing to drive down crime and prevent violence and the loss of young lives is at the heart of the Mayor’s priorities for this term. 

The four key themes of the Plan are: 

• Reducing and preventing violence– preventing and reducing 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 trust and confidence– 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.

• Better supporting victims– 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. 

• Protecting people from being exploited or harmed– 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

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Keeping Londoners safe is my number one priority and my draft Police and Crime Plan demonstrates I will continue to be both tough on crime and tough on the complex causes of crime, taking the action needed to keep our city safe and to ensure that victims of crime are supported. 

“Thanks to relentless effort by the Met Police and record funding from City Hall, violent crime is now falling – but there is still much more to do in order to prevent violence and stop the terrible loss of young lives in our city. I will continue to support the police in bearing down on criminality, providing record funding to put more officers on the streets, and stopping violence from happening in the first place by funding programmes that divert vulnerable young people away from crime, and providing positive opportunities for young Londoners. 

“This Plan also reflects my determination to increase the trust and confidence of all Londoners in their police service. I will continue to work with the Metropolitan Police and London’s Black communities to deliver my Action Plan for Transparency, Accountability and Trust in full, including an overhaul of community scrutiny of police tactics including stop and search, use of force and Taser. I will also continue to support the independent review into the Met’s culture and standards, to help rebuild women and girls’ trust in the police.

“It is more important than ever that we involve everyone across London, as we all have a part to play in helping make our city a safer, better place. I want to encourage Londoners to feed into the public consultation on my plan, to ensure I’m taking the action they want to see on the issues that matter most to them.”

Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service, Dame Cressida Dick, said: “I am proud of the positive results we have achieved in reducing all types of violent crime.  Through proactive policing, the Met has been arresting more criminals than ever, smashing more gangs than ever, seizing criminal cash, guns and knives – and most importantly reducing the numbers of young people injured.

“Day in and day out, the men and women of the Met are working to ensure the safety of this wonderful city and to increase the trust and confidence that Londoners have in us by solving more crime, bringing more offenders to justice being there to help those that need us the most.

“Engaging with the consultation on the Police and Crime Plan is an excellent opportunity to ensure that we all continue to remain focused on the things that matter to Londoners and their families the most.”

Cllr Jas Athwal, London Councils’ Executive Member for Crime and Public Protection:“The safety of our capital is the utmost priority for London boroughs. We continue to work closely with the Met and the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime to keep Londoners safe, and welcome the publication of the draft Police and Crime Plan. The consultation is an opportunity for local authorities, faith and community groups and residents to shape the Met’s priorities over the next four years and I would encourage all organisations and local people to have your say.”

Claire Waxman, London’s Independent Victim Commissioner said: “Too often victims of crime are treated as an afterthought by the criminal justice process, left struggling to navigate a complex system with too little support and information about their rights. 

“That’s why I welcome the measures set out by the Mayor in the Police and Crime Plan to improve the service and care victims receive from the Met and throughout the whole justice process, as well as focusing on reducing the number of victims of domestic abuse or sexual violence who are at risk of further violence. In particular, the Plan includes considering the creation of Victim Care Hub model, offering victims a single point of contact to support them throughout the whole justice process and ensure there is easily accessible victim support services enabling victims to cope with the justice system and recover from trauma. This is great progress as it has the potential to transform the way victims are treated and receive support.” Photo by oliver alsenz, Wikimedia.