Following the publication of a concerning report by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) on February 9, the Metropolitan Police Service has acknowledged the deep-seated issues in its handling of child exploitation cases. The report, which scrutinizes the Met’s response to child sexual and criminal exploitation, has prompted senior officers to outline urgent improvement plans to ensure the safety of children and young people.

Commander Kevin Southworth, the Met’s lead for Public Protection, expressed profound apologies to the children and families negatively impacted by the force’s shortcomings. He assured the public that the Met is taking decisive action to rectify these failures, emphasizing the importance of regaining community trust.

Key Initiatives Already Underway:

• Enhanced Training: Over 1200 child protection officers have undergone specialized training to identify and support vulnerable children more effectively. Additionally, 400 officers have received training focused on the intricacies of missing children cases, aiming to improve risk assessment, safeguarding, and targeting perpetrators.
• Increased Resources: The Met has bolstered its teams dedicated to criminal and sexual exploitation investigations by adding 36 new officers, with plans to include another 36 by April 2024. This expansion is part of a broader effort to enhance the force’s capacity to address child exploitation proactively.
• Improved Recognition and Response: There has been a notable 50% increase in the identification of child exploitation concerns by officers, leading to quicker interventions. The Met has also revised its risk grading for missing children, nearly doubling the number classified as ‘high risk’ to prioritize their immediate safety.
• Specialized Units and Strategies: The introduction of a ‘Central Vulnerability Hub’ and the ‘Right Care Right Person’ initiative represents a strategic shift towards a more integrated and effective response to child vulnerability and exploitation.
• Cultural and Linguistic Shifts: The HMICFRS report criticized the use of victim-blaming language in some cases. In response, the Met is implementing training to foster a culture of compassion and understanding among officers and staff.

Looking ahead, the Met plans to launch its inaugural Children and Young Person’s strategy, focusing on treating children as individuals with unique needs. This strategy, coupled with wider cultural reforms, aims to enhance officers’ awareness of the factors that make vulnerable children susceptible to exploitation.

A New Met for London:

In alignment with the broader initiative of “A New Met for London,” the Metropolitan Police is dedicating £38 million to transform its approach to protecting the public from harm. This investment will strengthen teams responsible for addressing missing persons, child sexual abuse, and exploitation, marking a significant step towards comprehensive reform.

As the Met embarks on this path of change and improvement, the commitment to safeguarding London’s children remains paramount. These measures reflect a concerted effort to address past failures and to build a police service that is both responsive and sensitive to the needs of vulnerable populations.