Better reporting needed to eradicate FGM in London
Posted by GLA Conservatives in News
– Mayor challenged to act after ‘appalling’ number of cases in capital
Social workers, medical professionals and teachers need to help identify young girls at risk of FGM after an ‘appalling’ number of the crimes were reported in London.
Assembly Member Andrew Boff will be challenging Boris Johnson to take decisive action after it was reported that London accounted for more than half the number of FGM cases nationwide.
Between July and September last year, 758 new incidents were reported to the Metropolitan Police, compared to 1,385 nationwide.
Sound cannon could be the water cannon alternative London needs
The Home Secretary has made the wrong decision in not allowing the Metropolitan Police the use of water cannon. Not only are water cannon a better alternative to rubber bullets, they act as a powerful visual deterrent to violence.
Another crowd control alternative is now required and I suggest the Met adopt Sound Cannon. They are low cost, safe, extremely mobile, and would be very effective at dispersing a riot or violent demonstrations. Though I hope another riot never happens we must be prepared to protect Londoners against all eventualities.
4 out of 5 victims of online hate crime don’t report it to the police
Police response to racial abuse and death threats online is leaving victims unsatisfied
A new report “#ReportHate: Combating Online Hatred” is calling for a national strategic unit to tackle the growing cases of online hate crime in England and Wales.
It was found that police forces lack the capability to properly deal with reports of directed racial abuse and even death threats online.
The report performed a targeted survey of over 200 purported victims of online hate crime and found that only 16% contacted the police.
CCTV not recovered in over 100K crimes including murders, rapes and stabbings
‘Digital map of existing private surveillance cameras¹ could help police solve crimes overnight’
Police are not looking at available CCTV footage for the majority of their investigations in London. New FOI figures² reveal that police are recovering existing footage in just a fifth of crimes in the Capital.Officers retrieved CCTV for just 23,278 crimes, compared to 118,287 crimes where footage was not obtained.
Roger Evans, Conservative London Assembly Member, who uncovered the figures, says:
“CCTV is everywhere. In 2007 it was claimed that the UK had 1% of the world's population but 20% of its CCTV cameras. While it is meant to be there to protect us from crime, these figures demonstrate that they are rarely used. Instead, serious crooks such as murderers, rapists and robbers may be getting off scot free for one in five crimes because the available CCTV is not even recovered. Acquisitive crime such as theft and burglary may not be sexy, but it is serious and can have a devastating impact. Victims repeatedly tell me that too often in spite of existing CCTV of the crime, no investigation using this evidence seems to take place.”
Rapists and paedophiles lost in London whilst on supervision
‘With 159 serious sex offenders wanted or missing in London alone¹, how many crooks have been ‘lost’ across the UK?’
63 serious sex offenders have gone completely missing in London, whilst on supervision.
Under “Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements” (MAPPA)², the national probation service, HM prison service and the Met are responsible for managing serious sexual and violent criminals, once they complete their sentence. However, the Met only holds data for sex offenders such as rapists and paedophiles.
A further 96 serious sex criminals are ‘wanted’ by police, mainly for breaching their notification requirements – failing to inform the police of details such as home address and passport details. In an FOI response, police say they ‘believe’ these 96 wanted offenders are living abroad in countries where sex offender legislation is perhaps not as robust.
Authorities blind to the hidden crime of human trafficking in the Capital
- Just 36 of London’s 389 human trafficking cases have been identified by the Met this year
- Under-threat Met police human trafficking unit is ‘vital’ to clamp down on London’s hidden slavery cases
- Investigations could pay for themselves from recuperated proceeds of crime through specialist teams
There have been 1,057 potential victims of human trafficking* identified in the UK so far this year¹. London accounts for 39% of all cases (389) identified by local authorities, the Met and NGOs such as charities¹. Of London’s 389 cases, just 36 were picked up by the Met.
Almost half of all crimes 'ignored' by police
- 40% of burglaries, 23% of robberies and 76% of car thefts not investigated by UK’s biggest force
- “If you are a thief, you can rest assured that over three quarters of your crimes, reported by victims, will be ignored by police”
Almost half (45%) of all crimes are not investigated by the Met – the UK’s biggest police force – according to the 2012/13 figures uncovered by GLA Conservatives Assembly Member Roger Evans.
The data shows a quarter (23%) of robberies and 40% of burglaries are ‘screened out’ by the Met, as well as 76% of car thefts and 81% of cycle thefts.
Roger is now calling for victims of crime to be allowed the right to appeal to their local safer neighbourhood boards – groups of local volunteers working with local police which come into existence from 2014 – if the police decide not to investigate their crime.
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Victoria Borwick calls for greater community involvement in local policing
At today's Police and Crime Plenary, Deputy Mayor Victoria Borwick will ask the Mayor to introduce a Met Smartphone app for the ‘Met Police Beat’ which allows you to follow and communicate with your Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT).
Commenting Victoria Borwick said,
“The Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police says we need to improve technology to engage with Londoners. This app could prove to be a ground-breaking way to re-connect communities with their local police.
“Surrey police have a Smartphone App which allows the public to connect with their local SNTs. It makes the police far more accessible as it provides residents with local crime information. It also gives local people the opportunity to have a say over local priorities and be actively involved.
“Most SNT police are very hard-working and this App will ensure we know what police are doing each day and allow the public to help fight crime through information sharing".
James Cleverly says the Metropolitan Police need New York style Predictive Crime Mapping
At the Police and Crime Plenary, Assembly Member James Cleverly will call on Boris Johnson to radically improve the Met’s intelligence system and introduce predictive crime mapping* in London.
Commenting, James Cleverly AM said,
“Money needs to be targeted at systems that can achieve more for less. Predictive crime mapping is a computer programme which allows police to turn up at an event and prevent a crime before it even happens. It’s welcomed by civil liberties groups as a successful, non-intrusive form of intelligence. And it will mean that we are one step ahead of criminals.
“There is a lot of evidence from the USA that, where predictive crime mapping has been used, crime can be significantly cut. These kinds of results cannot be ignored; so I am calling on the Mayor to test out this system in London.”
- More than 5,000 ppl signed the petition calling fr changes to the current CR2 proposals @KemiBadenoch @WimbledonNews https://t.co/JraHnbumBd
- .@KemiBadenoch receives a petition from @WimbledonNews and local residents opposing Crossrail 2 proposals https://t.co/NxaZBxwhrI
- .@SteveO_Connell says TfL's financial commitment 'is a sign that this plan is being taken seriously' https://t.co/EQf2Sfzlmb
