Shocking new analysis shows 6,000 neighbourhood officers and more than 8,500 PCSOs have been cut from Britain’s streets under the Conservatives. That number includes 3,539 PCSOs in London alone – a reduction of 75%. Over the same period, the proportion of people who say they never see the police on the beat has doubled.
The Tories have completely decimated neighbourhood policing, leaving our communities without the protection they need.
Everyone has a right to feel safe and secure in their homes and in their community. But the Conservatives are soft on crime, with millions of victims paying the price.
Reported rape and sexual offences have hit record highs but action against rapists has completely collapsed. The charge rate for rape stands at just 1.6%, down from 8.5% in 2015.
In December 2022, Feltham and Heston saw 1,125 crimes recorded by the police – including 363 violent crimes. The most recent statistics show a 19% increase in reported robbery and a 27% increase in knife crime in London since 2015.
And with the NHS in crisis, the police are officially picking up the pieces, as figures show some forces have seen a tripling of mental health 999 calls.
People don’t see the police enough, and if something happens they don’t have confidence that anything will be done.
We know that parents are worried about their children playing in the park or being targeted online. Pensioners worry about scams or being robbed in the street. Small businesses worry they will be targeted by thieves or vandals. Women feel less safe on the streets and antisocial behaviour from neighbours is blighting the lives of hard-working families.
That’s why over the last week, Labour has been calling for urgent action on crime. The last Labour government cut crime by a third and rolled out neighbourhood policing across the country. The next Labour government will prevent crime, punish criminals and protect communities.
Keir Starmer led the Crown Prosecution Service – locking up serious criminals and terrorists and standing up for victims and their families. The Tories have turned their back on our communities and have shown they don’t respect the rule of law.
Labour will prevent crime by putting 13,000 extra neighbourhood police and PCSOs on our streets, which would mean 15-20 extra neighbourhood police in Feltham and Heston.
Better policing is what forms the bedrock of safe and strong communities and is a matter of social justice. The cuts to policing by the Conservatives over 13 years have had serious consequences.
Labour will protect communities with more police, action and mentoring to stop young people being drawn into crime, more prosecutions and by standing up for victims.
A Labour government means safer homes, safer streets and safer communities.