Only three out of 43 forces keep up to date area profiles, while 2,131 reported offences were logged as 'no crimes'
Intelligence failings mean that police are missing evidence of serial rapists, according to an official review of rape investigations.
A joint report by the inspectorates of police and crown prosecutors published on Tuesday says that "rape problem profiles" tracking all attacks in a particular area are only being kept up to date in three out of 43 police forces, making it difficult to draw connections between attacks.
It says every rape by a "stranger" should be assumed to be part of a pattern of serial offending from the outset.
It also warns that police investigators are not fully exploiting other sources of information such as DNA samples, national intelligence material on serious sex offences and the overseas records of foreign nationals, in order to build strong prosecution cases.
The study discloses that 2,131 reported rape offences were officially logged as "no crimes" in 2010-11 in England and Wales – nearly 12% of all recorded rape cases. It also shows there is still a wide variation in "no crime" rates between police forces, from 30% in Kent to 2.4% in Gloucestershire.
The inspectorates say that a rape that has been reported and then recorded as a crime should only be "no-crimed" if the victim states that it did not happen, and even then further verifiable information is needed to support this, "because our experience shows that victims may withdraw allegations because they cannot face the criminal justice process". The report does not however specify what proportion of 'no crime' decisions were incorrect. The review of rape investigations by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and the Crown Prosecution Service follows high-profile cases such as the "Night Stalker", Delroy Grant, who raped and assaulted elderly victims over a 17-year period in London, Kent and Surrey.
The report says that the criminal justice system has made progress in the way it meets the needs of rape victims but that urgent improvements are needed in the way police gather and analyse intelligence material if rapists are to be identified and prosecuted.
The number of rapes recorded by the police has risen by 3,261 over the past three years – more than a quarter – with police and prosecutors saying the increase is due to victims having more confidence that their cases will be dealt with sensitively and professionally.
The inspectorates say they found evidence to support this claim of the improved treatment of victims. But they say that the quality of investigations and prosecutions has not kept pace with that improvement.
The report found examples of good detective work, but overall intelligence was not managed in a systematic way. Examples were:
• Potential links between sex attacks that had repeatedly occurred in the same general location on the same day of the week were identified by detectives talking to each other, rather than by careful analysis.
• One series of offences, which started with inappropriate touching of women in the street, progressed towards attempted rape. The offences were investigated by different officers and were only pulled together when a detective spotted the connection.
The report says that every force needs to keep up to date 'rape problem profiles' and should consider initially that every 'stranger' rape to be part of a pattern of serial offending so that the wider links to other crimes are considered.
Dru Sharpling, of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary, said: "Whilst the service for victims is getting better, there is absolutely no room for complacency, and good intelligence, the right investigative approach and targeting resources effectively are key to preventing rape and catching perpetrators."
Mr Hendy, Mr Mason, This could so easily be a member of your family!
Mr Hendy Mr Mason, you could so easily reduce the chance of this happening to a member of your family!
Mr Hendy, Mr Mason, ENFORCE THE LAW.
How do these men at TfL and LTPH sleep at night. Must we wait before an MP or member of the aristocracy daughter or son is raped, before action is taken?
* Hendy has been given the power to make amendments to Cab Acts as we have just seen with the introduction of ID badges.
** Compliance officers and Licensing officers now combined into just licensing officers. PCO enforcement officers and TOCU replaced by the Met's Safer travel command.
A disgrace. Utterly shameful, gut wrenchingly sad, and woefully piss poor !
ReplyDeleteNormally with topics like this, I sit at the keyboard and give my opinion as to the embarrassing performance of the Command who run London.
This time though and reading through the statistics above, I can't even find the strength to criticise them.
How worse can it possibly get ?
The writing was on the wall for our police service when they dropped the entry standards so low, that applicants with criminal records were being accepted, and people who were three foot high were being measured up with children's uniforms !
Now look at the state of the Met.
Incapable, unprofessional, uncaring and with team morale at an all time low.
Never mind the crazy political correct recruitment criteria, or the misplaced Human Rights Act.
Let's get back to the PROPER Police force and recruit some officers who can do the job !
That way, we may avoid a disastrous disgrace as above, that is showing our once envied police service to be less than accountable.
Have a clear up in our police ranks for God's sake ! Chuck the one's with a criminal record out, and fire the three foot high one's through a cannon !
"No Crimes" indeed !
What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean ?
Either a crime was committed, or it wasn't.
8829 Semtex
Mason will say he is nit responsible as his team don't have the power to enforce
ReplyDeleteBut why have LTPH licensed over 100,000 private hire drivers
He will say he can't legally limit!
Bunkum! How come he can limit suburban drivers?
He blames police insisting on satellite offices in night clubs
But TfL/LTPH and local councils refuse licensed taxi ranks outside these venues
When they do give in to campaigning taxi drivers the ranks are placed away from exits so PH can still operate its disgraceful.
If they can't enforce their own rules then their budget must be slashed and given to the police to use on enforcement
Jason B
Ive just heard a driver in the cafe say if a bird gets into a minicab after having too much to drink its her own fault if she gets rape.
ReplyDeleteI cant believe a colleague of mine can think in this way
youve seen the way these people are herded in to waiting touts, and in some parts of london taxi drivers are scared to go near the entrance in case the touts attack their cabs.
Every woman has the right to travel home in either a black cab or a licensed private hire without fear of attack. if women are being attacked at the rate of 12 a month then there is definitely some thing wrong with the system that needs immediate attention.
its just not good enough for the director of TPH to turn round and say we are not responsible for enforcement. you are responsible for licensing these animals that have fallen through the net.
Its your responsibility to sort this out not brush it aside
John Mason, if you cant do the job, then step aside.
Anon 0839 has of course made an accurate and sensible post. He is 100% correct.
ReplyDeleteSadly, this outrageous illegal practice by clipboard marshalls and mini cab operators has become so organised and agressive, that ordinary party goers and clubbers in London, accept this as the norm.
John Mason has of course jumped ship and tried to worm his way out of an uncontrollable situation, by claiming no enforcement powers.
However, as our colleague above correctly states......Mason gave them their licence. His job may not have enforcement powers, but he accepts his salary by agreeing to enforce compliance of the licence that the sattellites are using.
We have graphic evidence on camera, with much more to follow, that this licence compliance is almost non-existent. There is no bolt hole for Mason, as much as he is desperately trying to find one.
As I have said many times before, any organisation or department can issue a 'licence' for anything.
However, and as Mason's office has found out to their failure, enforcing compliance of that said licence is the secret, a different ball game.
Only experienced, professional and competent personnel should be trusted with such a high profile and specialised task.
When the recruitment departments get this appointment wrong within this specialised remit, people will be assaulted, raped and murdered.
Two of these horrific crimes are already happening with regular occurence in London's mini cabs. Perhaps an example of the third crime will be any day now.
Mason's office are responsible for the disastrous lack of control in licence non-compliance across London. It is now too late and too big an operation to expect the police to clear up this out of control abortion.
The very least Mason's office can be accused of is gross incompetence. But there is a much worse charge that can be thrown at this shower, and the way things are going, it's just around the corner.
Tomorrow will be too late.
8829 Semtex