New initiatives to enhance community safety

In a significant move aimed at restoring public confidence in policing, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has unveiled plans to put 13,000 additional neighbourhood officers back on the beat, marking a 50% increase in community policing resources. Under this initiative known as the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, every neighbourhood will have named and contactable officers, ensuring that “everyone deserves local, visible policing they can trust”. The plan aims to transform the policing landscape, offering communities a new standard of safety and security that has been lacking for over a decade.

Recent data shows a dramatic drop in the visibility of police presence, with the number of people regularly seeing officers in their local areas halving in the last ten years. The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee intends to counteract this alarming trend by guaranteeing police patrols in busy areas during peak times, such as town centres on weekends, which have seen a surge in antisocial behaviour and street crime.

With 90% of crimes currently left unsolved and a million incidents of antisocial behaviour reported last year, the Plan for Change will also introduce dedicated teams focused on specific community issues, with a particular emphasis on tackling rising levels of antisocial behaviour. Starmer emphasised that “security is the bedrock on which working families build their lives” and that it is unacceptable for communities to feel abandoned as crime continues to escalate.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper echoed these sentiments, highlighting the historic importance of seeing "bobbies on the beat" and pledging that the government is “determined to get police back on the beat and into our town centres.” This initiative not only aims to reinstate a sense of safety in communities but also seeks to foster a renewed connection between policing and the citizens they serve.

Chief Constable Sir Andy Marsh supported the plan, noting that good neighbourhood policing fosters trust within communities. He indicated that the College of Policing would roll out new training for officers to ensure they possess the skills necessary for effective neighbourhood engagement. The proposal also includes the creation of online tools for the public to monitor their local police forces and hold them accountable.

The initiative has received positive feedback from various community leaders, including Emily Spurrell, Chair of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners. She affirmed that neighbourhood policing is essential for addressing local issues swiftly and fostering community engagement. Additionally, the introduction of dedicated antisocial behaviour leads aims to ensure that these concerns are prioritised and taken seriously.

Expectations are high as the new measures roll out over the coming years, as community leaders and citizens alike look forward to a renewed era of proactive policing, where their safety and security is a shared responsibility between law enforcement and the communities they serve. As Starmer aptly pointed out, “Britain deserves better”, and the government is committed to making necessary changes that will bring policing back home to neighbourhoods across the nation.