Source · Select Committees · Home Affairs Committee
Recommendation 24
24
Deferred
Paragraph: 61
Examine measures to ensure impartial investigations for police officers accused of offences
Conclusion
We strongly recommend the Home Office examine measures to further reassure the public that officers accused of offences will be investigated without fear or favour – whether this be through investigation by an officer from another force or through some other means.
Government Response Summary
The government discusses existing provisions under the victim's code for referral to victim support services and the Ministry of Justice's Victim's Funding Strategy, rather than addressing the recommendation for independent investigation measures for officers accused of offences.
Paragraph Reference:
61
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
59. Under the victim’s code, the right to be referred to victims’ support services (Right 4) apply to all victims, regardless of whether they have reported the crime to the police. PCCs are responsible for commissioning dedicated local victim support services which the public can access to help them recover if they become a victim of a crime. Ministry of Justice provides grant funding to PCCs to enable them to do this, and the grant agreement states that victim services must be available whether or not a crime has been reported to the police. 60. Additionally, in the Ministry of Justice’s Victim’s Funding Strategy (VFS - May 2022), it was recognised that access to support, including the ability for different victim groups to access the same level of service can be a challenge. This can be particularly difficult for those with protected characteristics, those in prison settings, and those who are more likely to access ‘by and for’ services’. The VFS sets out 5 national commissioning standards, one of which is ‘Victims receive equitable access to services’. To meet the standard, commissioners will: “Ensure funding stream applications are accessible, particularly to smaller or ‘by and for’ organisations”.