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Communities across England and Wales are set to see a resurgence of visible policing on their streets as the government rolls out its new Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee. The plans, announced this week by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, aim to rebuild public trust in law enforcement and restore a sense of safety in local areas through a renewed focus on prevention and community engagement.
The commitment will see 13,000 more officers moved into neighbourhood policing roles by 2029 – an increase of more than 50%. As part of this, every community will have named, contactable officers tasked with tackling the issues that matter most to local residents, supported by guaranteed patrols in town centres and other high-demand areas.
The plans respond to a sharp drop in public confidence over the last decade. The number of people regularly seeing officers on patrol has halved, while 90% of crimes are going unsolved. Antisocial behaviour alone accounted for a million incidents last year, prompting calls for a more visible and proactive police presence.
A return to prevention
“Everyone deserves to feel safe and secure on the streets they call home. Britain deserves better. It should not matter where you live – everyone deserves local, visible policing they can trust.”
Prime Minister, Keir Starmer.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper added that communities had been “feeling abandoned” as neighbourhood teams were stripped back, even while visible crime such as shoplifting and street dealing increased. She described the new guarantee as a way to “restore policing to our communities.”
Each force will also appoint a dedicated antisocial behaviour (ASB) lead to develop locally tailored plans, working closely with residents and businesses. A new national Police Standards and Performance Improvement Unit will track how forces are delivering against the guarantee and a public-facing tool will allow communities to check progress in their area.
Sector-wide support – but challenges remain
The plan has received backing from policing leaders, local government and the business community. Sir Andy Marsh, Chief Constable and CEO of the College of Policing, said the guarantee builds on “the bedrock of British policing,” and confirmed new training will be rolled out this summer to equip neighbourhood teams with skills to tackle ASB and build public trust.
Emily Spurrell, Chair of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners and PCC for Merseyside, described the move as an opportunity to “reconnect policing with the communities they serve,” but flagged ongoing pressures on budgets. “We will continue to work with the government to ensure policing has the resources it needs to effectively deliver neighbourhood policing for the public,” she said.
Chief Constable Rachel Bacon, NPCC lead for Local Policing, said the funding would support forces as they respond to the differing needs of communities across England and Wales.
“Forces continue to develop plans to tackle crime in their local neighbourhoods, which will vary depending on various factors such as population, urban or rural and the needs of the local community. Chiefs across England and Wales will take these factors into account, work with partner agencies to ensure communities receive the level of service they expect from policing.”
Rachel Bacon, Chief Constable and NPCC lead for the Local Policing Coordination Committee.
The announcement is one of several recent steps aimed at addressing safety concerns in communities.
Through the Crime and Policing Bill, new powers will be given to police so they can better tackle crimes that matter most to communities. This includes bringing in Respect Orders to clamp down on persistent antisocial behaviour and giving police the power to seize vehicles that cause havoc to communities. The Bill will also scrap the effective immunity of theft of goods below £200 and help police go after phone thieves by removing the warrant to search properties where stolen items have been electronically geolocated.
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