The Prime Minister is set to reveal plans for dedicated police teams to patrol town centres during peak times in England and Wales. Sir Keir emphasized the need to eliminate the policing “postcode lottery” by ensuring each community has specialized neighborhood officers. The Labour government aims to assign named local officers to every neighborhood and increase police numbers by 13,000 by 2029. Visible policing has significantly declined in recent years, with a vast majority of crimes remaining unsolved.
In his upcoming announcement, Sir Keir will address the impact of “shoplifting and anti-social behavior” on neighborhoods and emphasize the government’s goal of prioritizing prevention in policing efforts. Despite these intentions, police forces nationwide are grappling with significant financial constraints, with potential cuts to existing officers looming. The National Police Chiefs’ Council reported a financial gap of approximately £1.3bn over the next two years. To counteract these challenges, the Home Office allocated an additional £100m for neighborhood policing in England and Wales.
Conservative Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp underscored the importance of providing adequate resources to the police force and linked potential job cuts to increased employer national insurance contributions. Meanwhile, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper defended Labour’s investment in policing, noting a significant increase in funding compared to the previous year. Labour’s commitment to recruiting an additional 13,000 officers for neighborhood roles was a key promise ahead of the last general election. The government’s strategy for neighborhood policing involves targeted patrols in high-traffic areas during peak times, such as weekends. Police forces retain autonomy in deciding when to deploy officers, with one government source emphasizing the importance of forces determining peak times
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