- Conservatives will recruit 8,000 new fully warranted police officers as part of a new neighbourhood policing uplift programme
- New plan stands in stark contrast to Labour’s proposals to recruit only 3,000 full-time and fully warranted officers
- Conservatives are building on their record of bringing down crime and recruiting 20,000 more police officers since 2019
The Conservatives are today (Monday 10th June) launching a new neighbourhood policing programme to recruit 8,000 additional new police officers.
These new neighbourhood police officers will be embedded in their local communities using their presence on the streets to build relationships, gather intelligence, and cut crime where it counts by tackling crimes such as car thefts, domestic burglaries, anti-social behaviour and drug offences.
This fully costed clear plan will be paid for in part by removing the student discount to the Immigration Health Surcharge and increasing all visa fees by 25%.
They will all be fully warranted officers dedicated to neighbourhood policing. In addition to this programme, the Conservatives will give officers new powers and tools to catch criminals, including new technology like facial recognition and strengthened powers to seize knives and track down stolen property.
Since 2019, we have recruited 20,000 police officers. Under the Conservatives, violent crime has fallen by 44 per cent since 2010 and neighbourhood crime is down 48 per cent. Reoffending has fallen from over 30% in 2010 to 25%.
We have a clear plan, taking bold action to protect our streets and our neighbourhoods, unlike Labour’s empty pledges. Their promise to recruit more police officers would in fact only deliver 3,000 new police officers, far below the Conservatives’ pledge.
Commenting, Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister, said:
“Our new 20,000 new police officers since 2019 have made a huge difference, with neighbourhood crime down 48 per cent as a result. We will now go further by hiring 8,000 more police officers, each one dedicated to their local community. People deserve to feel safe in their neighbourhood. More bobbies on the beat and increased powers will give police forces the tools they need to drive down neighbourhood crime even further. Labour has no plan and no idea how to fund more police officers. Without a plan crime will only go up, as we’ve seen in areas with a Labour Police and Crime Commissioner. Our clear plan will create a more secure future for neighbourhoods up and down the country.”
Commenting, James Cleverly, Home Secretary, said:
“The Conservatives will always back our brave police and security services with the powers and resources needed to keep our country safe. The new neighbourhood police programme we have announced today will make our streets safer. The Conservatives will take bold action with a clear plan to build a more secure future for people up and down the country. Unlike Keir Starmer’s Labour Party who have no plan to keep the country safe. You only have to look to London where crime has risen under Labour rule to see the real damage the Labour Party can do to your community.”
Simon Eardley, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Chester North and Neston, said:
"As I've been meeting residents across the area in recent months, they've told me clearly that making our streets safer for everyone in every community is a top priority for them. This new announcement will help us build on the progress we've already made in Cheshire in recent years with an extra 322 police officers recruited - the force now has more officers than ever.
I'm committed to helping communities in Chester North and Neston tackle crime and anti-social behaviour. If elected as the new Member of Parliament, I'd work with Cheshire Police to bring a clear focus on neighbourhood crime, dealing with drug abuse and addressing concerns around speeding, to help keep us all safe.
As a trustee of a Cheshire based charity, the Cheshire Drugwatch Trust, which focuses on drug awareness education in local schools, I'm passionate to make a difference in this important policy area."
