Communities will be safer and trust in local policing will be restored under plans to put police officers back in our neighbourhoods
Communities will be safer and trust in local policing will be restored under plans to put police officers back in our neighbourhoods, announced by the Prime Minister today, as he delivers manifesto pledge to roll out the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee.
New measures will ensure every community will have dedicated and specialist neighbourhood policing teams, ending the postcode lottery on law and order.
Announcing the plan, the Prime Minister will make clear that security is the bedrock on which working families build their lives, but that in recent years visible policing has fallen dramatically, with the number of people who regularly see officers patrolling in their local area halving in the past decade. 90% of crime has been left unsolved and there were one million incidents of antisocial behaviour last year alone, including big increases in street crime.
The measures will put prevention at the heart of policing. Under the government’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, crimes like vandalism or antisocial behaviour will be less likely to turn into more serious and violent offences, boosting confidence and security in local communities across Britain.
The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee will put 13,000 more officers into neighbourhood policing roles by 2029, an increase of more than 50%. The early focus of the plan will be to establish named local officers, target town centre crime and build back neighbourhood policing, meaning hard working people can feel safer and more secure in their daily lives.
The measures, announced today, will transform communities across Britain and will deliver the security communities deserve:
Under these plans, communities across the country will, for the first time in 15 years, be able to hold forces to account and expect a minimum standard of policing in their area.
The government’s new Police Standards and Performance Improvement Unit will ensure police performance is consistently and accurately measured, so the government can narrow the gap between the best and worst performing forces.
This will make clear that everyone across the country, no matter where they live, can expect the same standards from the police, with a new online tool so the public are able to check how their local force is performing and hold forces to account.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:
Today’s announcement is just one part of the government’s commitment to keep communities safe.
Through the Crime and Policing Bill, new powers will be given to police so they can better tackle crimes that matter most to communities. This includes bringing in Respect Orders to clamp down on persistent antisocial behaviour and giving police the power to seize vehicles that cause havoc to communities. The Bill will also scrap the effective immunity of theft of goods below £200 and help police go after phone thieves by removing the warrant to search properties where stolen items have been electronically geolocated.
Through the Plan for Change and mission to keep our streets safe, this government will restore confidence in local policing and making towns and communities safer places to live, work and visit.
Chief Constable Sir Andy Marsh, CEO of the College of Policing, said:
Emily Spurrell, Chair of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners and PCC for Merseyside, said:
Kurtis Christoforides, Chief Executive Officer of Police Now, said:
The Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales, Baroness Newlove, said:
Matt Hood, Co-op Managing Director said:
Kate Nicholls, Chief Executive of UKHospitality, said:
John Hayward-Cripps, Chief Executive of Neighbourhood Watch said: