MPS improves interview process for crime victims with new technology

The technology is designed to improve the efficiency of evidence obtained during interviews with victims, particularly women and girls affected by violence.

The equipment,  part of the MPS’s ‘New Met for London’ plan, eliminates the need to use DVDs and CDs and enables recordings to be made in police stations as well as in locations more convenient to victims of crime.

The MPS says by facilitating “swift access to professional-quality video and audio recordings”, the portable DIR kits aim to enhance investigative outcomes, provide better support to victims, and deliver justice for Londoners.

The lightweight kits, easily carried under-arm, can be used by officers to record interviews with suspects, victims or witnesses.

The footage is quickly and confidentially uploaded to a cloud-based system, ensuring immediate accessibility for stakeholders, including the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and senior MPS leaders.

The force says this streamlined process eliminates previous delays in accessing vital evidence, enabling faster investigations and helping to get offenders off the streets.

The kits, which have recently been distributed to specialist teams, including the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences and the Child Abuse Investigation teams, reduce the need for victim-survivors to travel to a MPS building to recount what happened.

Victims can provide their account in a more comfortable environment giving police the best chance of capturing better quality evidence to progress an investigation to catch a perpetrator.

Additionally, the DIR portable kits allow remote identification parades, allowing victims and witnesses unable to attend in-person to identify suspects.

Commander Stephen Clayman, lead for the roll-out of the DIR kits, said: “This represents one of the largest roll-outs of this equipment nationally given the scale of the MPS. It has also provided additional opportunities, especially with the provision of portable DIR kits.

“It has helped us to listen and respond to victims’ experiences and use of the equipment has allowed us to capture evidence in an environment which puts the victims first, giving us the relevant and vital evidence we need to catch a perpetrator.

“This hopefully alleviates some pressure during what is already an incredibly hard process for them.”

He said the wider roll-out of the fixed DIR equipment has so far proved very successful, eliminating the use of DVDs, providing additional functionality and ultimately saving officers and staff valuable time, with their interviews being available instantly.

The kits were initially piloted by the MPS’s Digital Data and Technology team in July last year, which the force said “paved the way for the Met to safeguard victims in way they’ve not been able to before”.

One notable success involved a female victim-survivor who had returned home to Poland following an aggravated burglary and sexual assault. The woman conducted an ID parade with Met officers at the British Embassy in Poland, which resulted in the suspect being located back in the UK, charged and remanded.

The equipment has also been used in a variety of locations including prisons, mental health secure units, hospitals, hotels, schools, care homes and overseas in government or law enforcement buildings.

Detective Inspector Richard Lewsley, from the MPS’s Rape and Serious Sexual unit in North West London, said: “Our team were fortunate enough to be involved in the piloting of this crucial piece of kit which allows frontline officers to offer a service which puts victims first.

“The device demonstrates we are committed to supporting victims’ needs and enabling them to provide evidence whilst giving our officers the right tools to do their jobs effectively.

“DIR gives officers the ability to operate efficiently, receive a high-quality product and relay it back to an investigation team within minutes of an interview finishing.

“It’s shown it can alleviate stress on my officers by giving them the capability to conduct interviews and better manage their time in ways they wouldn’t have been able to do before.

“The time saved in capturing evidence, as well as the choice offered to victims to decide where and when they provide evidence, makes this device invaluable.

“DIR is not limited to one crime type and I’m sure, in time, many will benefit.”

James Higgins, project manager with the MPS’s Digital Data and Technology team, said: “We have collaborated with frontline officers and the supplier to develop an advanced, secure and comprehensive Portable Interview Kit, which represents a transformative approach to interviewing, offering substantial benefits to the Metropolitan Police and enhancing the conduct of victim and witness interviews.

“The kits empower Met interviewing officers to confidently gather high-quality evidence and allows secure transmission from anywhere in the world back to the investigative team for prompt analysis and fast-time action.

“DIR utilises the same interview software and input screens as the Met’s new Fixed Interview Room system, which is being implemented across the Met, adding to significant changes in business processes and saving the Met money.”