London’s 100 worst sexual predators to be ‘treated like terrorists’ by the Met
Met police officers have begun using counter-terrorism tactics in order to catch the 100 worst predators targeting women in London.
Police are using a system known as the Cambridge Crime Harm Index (CCHI), previously used only for terrorism and organised crime, to assess 35,000 offenders reported each year for crimes against females.
The CCHI gathers data on tens of thousands of men recently convicted of domestic assault, rape, sex offences, stalking, and harassment and ranks the top 100 who pose the highest risk to the public.
Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley praised the ‘innovative’ strategy and described the steps as ‘front-footed’ in his attempt to reform the capital’s police.
Mr Rowley said: ‘It’s taking the organised crime or terrorism approach to male predatory violence.
‘If we go after them proactively, build a case against them, get them off the streets, that protects women and children in London, so that’s an indicator of something more innovative, more front-footed, and how we reform how we police London.’
The move follows plans to overhaul the Met after a year-long investigation into the organisation found it to be ‘institutionally racist, sexist, and homophobic.’
Trust in the organisation has collapsed after a number of high-profile scandals saw officers found guilty of committing rape, assault and even murder.
Mr Rowley said the Met was ‘getting rid of the problem’ and was looking to form a ‘healthier organisation focused on serving the public’, but acknowledged that the road ahead for the next two or three years would be ‘bumpy.’
He added: ‘I’ve got a minority of my people I need to sort out, and we’re doing that as rapidly and as quickly as we can do.’
The Met chief also said bosses were ‘sacking and suspending more officers than ever before’ in their efforts to clean up the force.
Also in the commissioner’s plans is an increased emphasis on neighbourhood policing in a bid to rebuild public trust.
Some 240 officers out of the Met’s total workforce of around 34,000 will be moved from central to local teams.
There are also plans to recruit 500 more community support officers (PCSOs) and an extra 565 people to work with teams investigating domestic abuse, sexual offences and child sexual abuse and exploitation.
During austerity from 2010 onwards, local borough teams were cut so that between two and four boroughs were covered by one basic command unit.
But under the new proposals, each borough will have at least one front counter open 24 hours a day.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: ‘Londoners will rightly judge this plan on actions not words, and I will be unflinching in holding the Met and the Commissioner to account and supporting him to deliver.’
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