Officers introduced across London to work with faith groups

Officers dedicated to ensuring closer working with communities and faith groups to help prevent child abuse are being introduced in eight London boroughs, it emerged this week.

The community partnership officers were piloted in Hackney and Newham, east London, by the Metropolitan police last year as a part of Project Violet.

This also involved the formation of an independent advisory group on child protection to advise the Met and was launched in response to a need for communities to be supported identified in the Victoria Climbie Inquiry.

The non-police officers will now be rolled out to: Brent, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington, Newham and Southwark.

The Community Partnership Project is funded for 12 months and will be managed by the eight boroughs co-ordinated through the London Child Protection Committee.

Detective Superintendent Chris Bourlet, head of Project Violet, said that in the long-term the Met would like to have community partnership officers in every London borough.

The project is due to begin in the Spring.