In Castle Point, crime fell by 9.7% in 2023 and Essex Police is now the largest in its history with 3,755 officers. I have been working closely with them to address resident’s concerns about antisocial behaviour and car theft so they can be reassured they are safe here. I welcome the commitment for 8,000 more police officers dedicated to serve our neighbourhoods to reassure people across Castle Point that crime will continue to fall under the Conservatives.
Rebecca Harris
Under the Conservatives, crime has fallen by 54% since 2010 and we have recruited 20,000 new police officers since 2019. There is still more we can do which is why we will recruit 8,000 new full-time police officers across the country with full power of arrest as part of a new Neighbourhood Policing Uplift Programme. This will mean a new police officer for every ward in England and Wales. People rightly expect to see police officers on the streets where they live and these 8,000 extra officers will be focused solely on policing their local beat, cutting crime and helping people feel safer across Castle Point.
Police Recruitment:
- Recruit 8,000 new fully warranted police officers as part of a new neighbourhood policing uplift programme. We will build on the success of our Police Uplift Programme that has delivered 20,000 more police since 2019 by recruiting an additional 8,000 police officers with the full power of arrest.
- Ensuring that these new officers are focused only on their local neighbourhoods. These officers will work as part of existing neighbourhood teams, which will ensure every neighbourhood across Castle Point will have a more continuous police officer coverage. We will also require forces not to offset these additional officers by diverting a police officer, already dedicated to neighbourhood duties, to other purposes.
- Rolling out Hotspot Policing to all police forces to cut anti-social behaviour. We will roll out our successful hotspot policing programme across the whole of England and Wales over the next Parliament. This will ensure that an additional 3 to 4.5 million hours of patrolling can take place in hundreds of hotspots, proving further protection against anti-social behaviour and serious violence.
Funding:
This will be part-funded through removing the student discount to the Immigration Health Surcharge and by increasing all visa fees by 25%.
Of the 8,000 total officers, 2,000 will be recruited in 2024-25, 2,000 in 2025-26 and 2,000 in 2026-27, reaching 8,000 in 2027-28. The Surcharge to students will rise to £1,035 and we will increase all visa fees by 25% and we will legislate to ensure that the additional funds raised can be used on wider public services.
The funding from the Government for this programme will come with requirements for forces to ensure that officers focused on neighbourhood policing duties. We will require forces to develop robust contingency plans to ensure continuity of coverage for neighbourhoods as and when these new officers take time off.