3,000 more neighbourhood bobbies by next year, Prime Minister announces
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Community policing will be bolstered with an extra 3,000
neighbourhood officers by next year as Labour delivers security for
working people, the Prime Minister announced today [Thursday 10
April]. Through the government's Plan for Change, Labour will get
thousands more bobbies on beat with the Neighbourhood Policing
Guarantee. This will see high-streets, towns, and villages get
dedicated policing teams, to end the postcode lottery on law and
order. Delivering on Labour's...Request free trial
Community policing will be bolstered with an extra 3,000 neighbourhood officers by next year as Labour delivers security for working people, the Prime Minister announced today [Thursday 10 April]. Through the government's Plan for Change, Labour will get thousands more bobbies on beat with the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee. This will see high-streets, towns, and villages get dedicated policing teams, to end the postcode lottery on law and order. Delivering on Labour's Manifesto pledge to keep communities safe and restore confidence in policing, every neighbourhood will have named, contactable officers and guaranteed patrols in town centres at peak times, to tackle anti-social behaviour and criminality in their area. The move is backed by a £200 million cash injection and will see 3,000 extra neighbourhood officers and PCSOs recruited by March 2026, increasing law enforcement resource on our streets by 15 per cent. Speaking in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, the Prime Minister confirmed that areas such as Derbyshire, Yorkshire, and Somerset are among those that are set to see a surge in officer numbers, in addition to Cambridgeshire Constabulary. Labour is making good on its promise to give working people more security in their communities. The announcement is part of a wider package to put 13,000 more officers into neighbourhood policing roles by 2029, an increase of more than 50 per cent compared to when the Conservatives left office. Against a backdrop of one million incidences of anti-social behaviour last year, Keir Starmer also announced upcoming action to bring back a visible police presence across England and Wales. A summer crime blitz will see town centres benefit from intense hotspot patrols to make clear that criminals will no longer get away with stealing from stores, assaulting shopworkers, or thieving phones at the expense of hardworking citizens. The crackdown – which will include guaranteed police patrols - will be funded by an additional £66 million and will see officers deployed in those areas where the scourge of anti-social behaviour is causing greatest misery. As part of the drive on making town centres safer, a dedicated anti-social behaviour lead will be installed in every force, to develop a bespoke plan to tackle the common issues faced in their area. Persistent perpetrators of anti-social behaviour such as street drinkers could also face being slapped with tough new Respect Orders, which give local forces the power to ban offenders from designated zones. Under the last Conservative government, confidence in policing collapsed as neighbourhood police and PCSO numbers were slashed by nearly 20,000 between 2010 to 2024, while the number of people of people who say they see uniformed officers in their local area also halved in the last decade. A staggering 90 per cent of crime also went unsolved. Speaking in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “Under the last government, neighbourhood policing was decimated. It became a postcode lottery, where your address determined the level of service you get. “The proportion of people who saw uniformed officers in their local areas halved in the last decade. And the result, crime soaring in our town centres and public confidence in the police service going down. “We've got to end this culture of crime that is destroying our communities. Today I can announce the first step - 3,000 new neighbour officers, being onboarded by the start of next year. “All of them visible, on the beat and serving their communities – not stuck behind a desk or taken away to plug shortages elsewhere. “A transformation in neighbourhood policing – that will transform our communities. A manifesto commitment - being delivered. This is at the heart of our Plan for Change.” 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 giving police the power to seize vehicles that cause havoc to communities. The Bill will also 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, the government is restoring confidence in local policing and making towns and communities safer places to live, work and visit. Ends Notes:
o At March 2010 there were 16,918 PCSOs. Source: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7a3dc0ed915d1a6421c0f7/hosb1410.pdf, see pdf, page 1. o At 31st March 2024, there were just 7,539 PCSOs. Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-workforce-england-and-wales-31-march-2024/police-workforce-england-and-wales-31-march-2024. o This is a decrease of 9379, or 55%.
o At 31st March 2015, there were 23,928 officers in neighbourhood policing roles. Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-workforce-england-and-wales-31-march-2016, data tables, F1. o At 31st March 2024, there were 13,424 officers in neighbourhood roles. Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-workforce-england-and-wales-31-march-2024, table F1.
o This is a decrease of 10,504, or 44%.
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