Commissioner’s call to victims of crime

Help for victims will be the focus of a new review by Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Kim McGuinness.

Ms McGuiness says she is aiming to help people affected by crime in her independent review of services funded through her office and wants to ensure there continues to be a voice for victims and that services for them are strengthened.

As part of the review she will look at how her office funds a range of services, including independent charity Victims First Northumbria.

Alongside this, the Commissioner has urged members of the public to get in touch and have their say on what works well in support services and what can be improved, either via her office or Northumbria Police’s quarterly victim satisfaction survey.

She said: “My top two priorities as Police Commissioner are to help our force prevent crimes and ensure that when a crime does happen, the victim is central to all we do.

“When you’re a victim of a crime you want the criminal brought to justice, but sometimes you also want extra support as you go through that process, and the aim of this reviewing is making sure those support services are meeting your needs.” She added: “There is already a great team working at Victims First Northumbria providing this help, and now I want to build on that.”

The review will be completed by the summer.

To have your say on support for victims, or to volunteer to be part of a victims’ focus group, email enquires@northumbria-pcc. gov.uk