The Government is hoping communities will be safer and trust in local policing will be restored under plans to put police officers back into neighbourhoods.
The Prime Minister announced the news on Wednesday, April 9, and new will ensure every community will have dedicated and specialist neighbourhood policing teams, ending the postcode lottery on law and order.
It forms part of the Government’s Plan for Change and Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, putting 13,000 more neighbourhood officers on the streets, up more than 50 per cent across the country.
Keir Starmer said: “Britain deserves better. It should not matter where you live – everyone deserves local, visible policing they can trust, and with our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee we will end this postcode lottery, putting prevention back at the heart of policing and ensuring police are back on the streets.
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“That’s why our Plan for Change is delivering security for working people in their communities with a return to neighbourhood policing, putting thousands of bobbies back on the beat and keeping people safe.”
The early focus of the plan will be to establish named local officers, target town centre crime and build back neighbourhood policing.
The Government’s new Police Standards and Performance Improvement Unit will ensure police performance is consistently and accurately measured, to can narrow the gap between the best and worst performing forces.
Responding to the announcement, Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones said: “Having named and contactable police officers for every community works. I introduced the Local Bobby scheme last year to ensure every village, town, city and community in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight have their own police officer. A Bobby who knows their residents, knows their patch and delivers approachable but tough neighbourhood policing.
“Patrols have increased in rural areas and in town centres, and there has been a significant reduction in crime over the last 12 months. Communities feel safer, anti-social behaviour has reduced, and charge rates have increased. It’s clear communities feel safer when the police understand the real concerns in their communities and are easy to contact.
“Building back confidence in the system is tough, and Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary still has a way to go but regionally it has set the standard, and by 2026, I will ensure the force will have the highest number of police officers to protect and serve in over a decade.”