Over 12 million crimes were committed between March 2020-2021. Despite this, the number of recorded crimes fell by 10%, according to the Office for National Statistics. When victims did report a crime, 22% of them were not offered a referral to support services.

Rachel Roberts is Head of the Victim and Witness Care Unit (VWCU) at Surrey Police and has 13 years experience prior to this as a member of the police staff.

The Victim and Witness Care Unit, launched in 2019, is a generalist assessment and support service which provides wraparound quality care and support to victims of crime. The service takes victims through the criminal justice process, helping them with the ‘coping’ and ‘recovery’ phases of their experience.

In this video Rachel shares how the service supports victims through the criminal justice process. She is also joined by three care officers in the VWCU who discuss some of the services in place to help victims feel safe when navigating the criminal justice system.

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In 2020, only 6% of victims were satisfied with their initial contact with the police. Rachel Roberts, Head of the Victim and Witness Care Unit at Surrey Police shared how the Unit has been able to support victims and witnesses at every step through the Criminal Justice System.

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