Labour has vowed to target growing levels of vandalism by increasing neighbourhood policing, as both main parties ramp up commitments on law and order ahead of the local elections.
The aim is to have an extended presence of officers in town centres to act as a deterrent against antisocial behaviour, as well as in schools to identify young people at risk of being drawn into gangs.
Neighbourhood teams would also be expected to increase work on violence against women, working with local councils on street safety and with pubs and clubs.
Labour said the charge rate for arson and criminal damage had dropped from 7.9% in 2015 to 3.9%, according to latest official statistics. They say their plans hope to reverse these figures.
Speaking on Times Radio, shadow policing minister Sarah Jones said: “We want 13,000 more police officers and PCSOs on our neighbourhoods guaranteed. We will guarantee that. Those police will be there.”
Concerns about whether Labour’s pledges are unfunded have risen, with many asking where the money will come from.
Jones assured that this is not the case, and that all funds have been sensibly calculated: “It will be funded by savings that we will make – £370 million savings from the way we procure services and the way we share services within the police.”
“That is an underestimate of what is possible. The Police Foundation think the number we could save is much higher. We’re being as cautious as possible because we want to be careful with public money – but the money is there.”
Recently, shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper commented on the decrease in neighbourhood policing under the Conservatives: “Neighbourhood policing has been decimated under the Tories and as result criminals and vandals are getting away scot-free while communities are being let down.”
But, policing minister Chris Philp has described Labour’s pledges as “weak” and “the latest evidence that Labour are soft on crime and soft on criminals”
Asked about whether entry into the police force needs to be tightened owing to numerous accounts of misconduct, Jones said: “We have to accept there are predatory people out there who try and get into education. They try and get into the health service. They’ll try and get into policing. We’ve got to keep the good people there. And then we’ve got to improve our charge rates and bring crime rates down.”
