The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, today invited Londoners to voice their experiences, ideas and concerns as he launched a major new survey to help inform his new strategy for policing and crime.
From local policing and tackling violence against women and girls, to protecting young people and preventing terrorism, Londoners are being asked to give their opinions and insights on a range of policing issues. These include their own experiences of being a victim of crime, interacting with the police and how safe they feel in the capital.
Sadiq Khan and his policing deputy Sophie Linden, have already made clear their plans to improve support for victims, and work to restore neighbourhood policing is underway. Earlier this month they held a special knife crime summit to help shape a tough new approach to tackling the problem. They are committed to driving down hate crime, fighting extremism and ensuring the police and emergency services have the resources they need to keep the capital safe.
Today’s new survey will run for three weeks. The results will help finalise the Mayor’s plans for policing the capital over the next four years, and inform his work to prevent crime, seek swifter justice, cut reoffending and make the city safer for everyone.
Sadiq Khan said: “The safety of Londoners is my first priority, and I want to ensure that everyone in our great city is given a chance to contribute to my plans to make it even safer. We all have friends, neighbours and colleagues whose lives have been blighted by crime, and these issues affect every aspect of life in London - our homes, our communities, our workplaces, our schools, our public spaces and our transport network. We want to hear about your experiences of policing and crime in the capital so that we can address those issues that really matter to you. Get involved, take the survey and make sure your voice is heard.”
The survey is the latest phase in an in-depth process of engagement and discussion to inform the Policing and Crime Plan. Since June, Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Sophie Linden, has held meetings with a wide range of front-line professionals, experts, voluntary agencies and community groups to hear their views, as well as meeting victims and talking with offenders. Earlier this week, a City Hall seminar brought together academic experts with leaders from the criminal justice system to discuss the latest research findings on policing and crime issues, and how to measure performance.
Sophie Linden, Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, said: “It’s really important that Londoners have a voice in the big decisions about our safety. From knife crime to neighbourhood policing, from burglary to violence against women and girls, we want to hear from you as we finalise our plans to tackle these issues. The feedback from this survey will help inform the Mayor’s key priorities and guide the spending of billions of pounds of public money over the next four years. I encourage all Londoners to take a few minutes to take part.”
The survey is running on the Talk London website until 16th November. A draft Plan will be published following the survey, for formal consultation, with the final Police and Crime Plan published before the end of this financial year.
Notes to editors
- All Police and Crime Commissioners – in London’s case a role held by the Mayor and managed through the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) – must produce a Police and Crime Plan. The current Police and Crime Plan, set by the previous Mayoralty, expires at the end of this financial year.
- Talk London was created by City Hall as a place to discuss issues relating to London. It offers a space for Londoners to provide their thoughts and opinions on policy decisions relating to housing, the environment, transport, safety, jobs and the economy. The Talk London website can be found here: http://talklondon.london.gov.uk/
- The Deputy Mayor’s engagement meetings for the Police and Crime Plan thus far have included: the MPS, British Transport Police, City of London Police, TfL, the Home Office, the Ministry of Justice, the CPS, HMIC, the NHS, the Police Federation, the Metropolitan Black Police Association, the Youth Justice Board, HM Prison Service, the London Community Rehabilitation Company, the Childrens Commissioner, Victim Support, London Citizens, the Prison Reform Trust, London Heads of Community Safety, the London Violence Against Women and Girls Board, the VAWG Voluntary and Community Service Reference Group, London Councils, the Migrant and Refugee Advisory Panel, Women’s Aid, Pact, Faith Forums 4 London, Brixton Soup Kitchen, the London Community Forum, the London Latin American Women’s Association, a MOPAC Sexual Violence Roundtable, a MOPAC Business Crime Roundtable, a MOPAC Youth Roundtable on Knife Crime, the Mayor’s Knife Crime Summit.