The Labour Party, led by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, unveiled ambitious new strategies aimed at strengthening local law enforcement presence across the United Kingdom.
A core element of this plan is a significant increase in neighbourhood police officers, with an initial goal of deploying 3,000 individuals onto streets nationwide by the beginning of next year. The ultimate aim is to have 3,000 more officers on patrol by the start of 2026.
“Today marks a crucial first step,” stated Starmer. “We’re committing to 3,000 new neighbourhood officers hitting the ground by next year—visible, engaged, and dedicated to serving their communities, not absorbed into administrative roles or diverted elsewhere to cover shortfalls.”
The initiative includes several key improvements:
- Dedicated Neighbourhood Contacts: Starting this July, every community will have a designated police officer readily available for contact.
- Increased Patrols: Enhanced and guaranteed patrols in town centres and known crime hotspots, especially during busy weekend evenings.
- Performance Transparency: Residents and businesses will be able to monitor the effectiveness of their local neighbourhood policing teams through an online platform.
- Accountability & Feedback Channels: A variety of avenues for residents and businesses to voice concerns and request improvements from their neighbourhood policing team will be established.
Starmer emphasized that these reforms are designed to proactively prevent crime before it occurs.
“This is about preventing crime, not just responding after it happens – a fundamental shift in approach,” he explained. “These changes represent a transformative overhaul of neighbourhood policing, one that will ultimately transform our communities.”
