Labour vows 13,000 more neighbourhood police as Tories 'fail on knife crime'

15 February 2023 , 22:30

618     0

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper will announce plans to bolster neighbourhood policing teams (Image: PA)

Labour is set to announce plans to increase police patrols and ramp up neighbourhood teams to tackle yobs and drug dealers.

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper will accuse the Tories of failing to take action on knife crime and fraud as she pledges 13,000 more neighbourhood officers and PCSOs.

Since the Tories took power in 2010, she is expected to say in a key speech, the number of PCSOs has halved, while there are 6,000 less neighbourhood police than in 2015.

Ms Cooper says these officers "were once the eyes and ears on our streets" and claims their loss has had "deeply damaging consequences for communities".

She will tell an audience in London on Thursday that Labour is "the party of law and order" after years of Tory failure.

Teachers, civil servants and train drivers walk out in biggest strike in decade

The Shadow Home Secretary claims the Tories have failed to tackle rising knife crime (PA)

She will say: “For 13 years, the Conservatives have deliberately run a hands-off Home Office, failing to take proper action on serious areas of rising crime, such as youth knife crime, drug dealing, fraud or town centre anti-social behaviour, and failing to introduce serious policing reform.

“Their laissez faire approach to crime and policing has badly let communities down. Labour will take a fundamentally different approach.

"We know that strong communities are safe communities. We believe in high standards in public services and in active Government.”

The Labour front bencher says new training and technology will be a priority if the party wins the next General Election.

She will also announce improved vetting standards in an overhaul of culture and standards in policing.

Last month The Mirror reported that in March 2010, just before the Tories returned to power, there were 16,918 PCSOs on the beat - one for every 3,292 people.

However, by March last year the total had plunged to 8,750 - a drop of 8,168 officers, or 48%.

At the same time, the visibility of police plummeted, with 27% of people in 2010 saying they never saw officers on patrol - climbing to 48% by 2020.

Dave Burke