'We will be judged on our actions and not our words' (January 2024)

A new action plan to keep women safe in London was launched last month by the Metropolitan Police.

More than 500 extra officers and staff will be dedicated to identifying offenders and supporting victims, say police.

The scheme, called the Violence Against Women And Girls (VAWG) Action Plan was launched across the capital in December. 

Police say the plan will see more predators brought to justice, more victims protected from harm and safer spaces for women and girls to enjoy. The Met aims to create bigger teams to reduce caseloads for officers, provide a better service to victims and survivors , and will improve training and increase external scrutiny.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Helen Millichap, who leads on tackling violence against women and girls in the Met, said: “We have made some solid progress in recent months, increasing our charges for rape by 41 per cent when compared with last year. But it’s not enough and we are committed to bringing even more perpetrators to justice before they can harm again. 

“Our plan will deliver over 500 extra officers and staff dedicated to swiftly identifying offenders, supporting victims, and making women and girls safer.”

The police released a statement explaining that the new plan outlines 10 key commitments to  improve how the Met protects women and girls and builds trust and confidence. The three pillars of their 10 commitments include building trust and confidence, relentless pursuit of perpetrators, and safer spaces.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Millichap said: "We will be judged on our actions and not our words. The Met is working to make London safer for women and girls and we know our response needs to be shaped by those affected. This is how we will create confidence that we are a police service that women can trust.

"Our new plan is built around creating trust and making our tactics more precise, more effective and better resourced."

She added: "We are creating innovative tactics to better target those men who cause the most harm, to get results and ensure victims are at the very heart of our service."

The number of stalking protection orders has doubles with around 270 currently in force, and police are using cutting-edge technology and ew techniques to catch stalkers, say the Met.

The statement issued last month by the force said: Officers are using innovative tactics including advanced telephone data analysis, bringing the same successful tactics used against county lines drugs dealers to identify stalkers and protect victims.  And the V100 project is identifying the most dangerous and violent sexual predators, which has already led to the convictions of eight men in the first three months.   

"The most dangerous predatory men are being targeted by the Met, using new methods and working closely with local businesses and partners across London to make places and events safer for women and girls."

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Millichap added: “We can’t do this alone and that is why we are working closely with local authorities, our communities, victims and many charities like the Suzy Lamplugh Trust.”

Khushi Mistry, a 20 year old student from West Drayton, welcomed the initiative but said the police needed to rebuild trust.

She said: “It is good that they have these new commitments because it shows that the police are trying but there has been a profound betrayal of trust. Especially when a police officer who is entrusted with protecting and serving the community, becomes an offender in cases related to violence against women. 

“The Met Police need to take more accountability, especially when the harm towards women has come from them. Rebuilding trust in the community should be their first step to make the city safer.”

Ellen Miller, a 53 year old CEO for Refuge Interim from Poulton-Le-Fylde said: “As the Baroness Casey Review published earlier this year evidenced, this issue is systemic within the Met and is an institutional problem. 

“We must see the suspension of all police officers and staff accused of violence against women and girls pending the outcome of an investigation, only then will survivors of these crimes feel confident that adequate action to protect women and girls is being done, not just words on paper.”