Derbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner Angelique Foster has welcomed a new progress report highlighting improvements in the support and safeguarding of victims of crime made over the last year.
In her latest Performance Scrutiny Meeting, Police and Crime Commissioner Angelique Foster was presented with a detailed performance update showing how the force is delivering on her Police and Crime Plan priority of supporting and safeguarding victims.
The report forms part of a robust scrutiny process led by the Police and Crime Commissioner in which the force must provide evidence of its performance to reassure her that it is delivering effective and efficient policing services to the public.
In her Police and Crime Plan, which reflects the views of local people across Derbyshire, Police and Crime Commissioner Angelique Foster has pledged to put all victims of crime at the heart of her work, ensuring they receive appropriate support and that those most at risk are properly protected.
“Supporting and safeguarding victims of crime is one of my key priorities as Police and Crime Commissioner. My focus is on ensuring that the force takes every crime seriously and provides a professional and consistent level of care that meets the needs of all victims of crime, regardless of the type of crime or location,” she said.
“This year I have invested nearly £4 million in services that support victims of crime, an increase of approximately £75,000 compared to previous years. This will enhance the support available and will make a significant difference to victims of crime throughout Derbyshire.
“The Chief Constable and her leadership team presented very detailed evidence on the progress being made and I am pleased to see that new processes and resources have been invested to identify vulnerability early and ensure victims receive the help and support they need swiftly. Equally, I welcome the collaborative arrangements in place with our partners to share information to protect those most at risk and identify gaps where improvement is needed.
“The experience of for victims of crime when they come into contact with police impacts strongly on public confidence and overall feelings of safety and it is imperative we get it right. There is a real commitment by the force to improve the protection and safeguarding of victims of crime and for this purpose I will be scrutinising the force on this key priority continuously and asking the force to share further improvements during the coming year.”
The report highlighted several reforms introduced by the force to better meet the needs of victims.
It has created a new system, for example, whereby victims of crime are automatically emailed information about the support services available for their recovery to encourage them to self-refer if they need help.
In addition, the Commissioner is currently supporting the work of the force to develop an app for victims of crime. The app will contain useful information and frequently asked questions plus a video on what to expect at court.
If successful, the app, which has already gained the interest of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and other forces, will also provide direct communication with Witness Care, enabling victims to request special measures at court and indicate if they would like the option of putting their case forward for an earlier trial where possible.
The report shows performance in relation to 999 and 101 call answering capabilities has significantly improved, with a reported 77 per cent of 999 calls now answered within 10 seconds and a considerably lower call abandonment rate of 6.5 percent for 101 calls.
Deputy Chief Constable Kate Meynell highlighted the introduction of a new 101 Triage Service in December 2021 which assesses all initial 101 calls to resolve incidents as quickly as possible for callers, with all new incident/crime reports separated and transferred to a control room function which has reduced waiting times and abandonment rates.
Meanwhile, the force plans to roll out a new Interactive Voice Recognition feature on its 101 service from September to enable more efficient call routing as part of an organisational priority set by the force to improve the service.
Among other successes raised was the launch of a centralised Exploitation Team investigating sexual exploitation, criminal exploitation and county lines to safeguard those at risk, the formation of a Safeguarding Co-ordination Hub including the centralisation of the Domestic Abuse Review Team, the launch of force-wide centralised Missing Team which undertakes investigations into all missing persons across the county regardless of risk and an overhaul of working practices through investment in the Protecting Children Online Team.
Efforts are also ongoing to provide live stream capability for victim evidence from Sexual Assault Referral Centres directly into court.