Neighbourhood Policing

The transcript covers a series of Oral Questions in the House of Commons regarding steps the Home Department is taking to improve neighbourhood policing. Several Labour MPs, including Ruth Cadbury, Chris Vince, Peter Swallow, and Deirdre Costigan, asked the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, what the government is doing to rebuild neighbourhood policing and address issues such as antisocial behaviour, drug dealing, and lack of police presence in local communities. In her responses, the Home Secretary acknowledged that neighbourhood policing has been "decimated" in recent years, with a significant reduction in police officers, PCSOs, and special constables. She stated that the new government is committed to rebuilding neighbourhood policing by putting more officers, PCSOs, and special constables back on the streets, as well as providing them with new powers to tackle antisocial behaviour and local crime. The Home Secretary also highlighted plans to introduce a new neighbourhood policing guarantee, provide specialist training for neighbourhood officers, and work with the College of Policing on the national roll-out of this training. She emphasised the importance of partnerships between the police and local communities, rather than communities feeling they have to address issues alone. In follow-up questions, the MPs pressed the Home Secretary further on the need for more police presence in their local areas, the challenges of rural crime, and the scourge of off-road bikes being used for antisocial behaviour. The Home Secretary acknowledged these concerns and reiterated the government's commitment to tackling these issues through improved neighbourhood policing. Other interventions included a Conservative MP, Graham Stuart, who highlighted the crime reduction achieved under the previous Conservative government, and the Home Secretary's response that the new government needs to address issues such as shoplifting and street crime that have seen significant increases in recent years. The Liberal Democrat spokesperson, Lisa Smart, also raised the importance of effective coordination between the police and mental health services to ensure those in need of support do not fall through the cracks.