£200m investment to kickstart neighbourhood policing recruitment across England and Wales

The additional investment follows a “provisional £100 million commitment” made in December

The Home Office says this will “kickstart the delivery of 13,000 more neighbourhood police officers” across England and Wales to protect local communities from crime.

It added: “After years of declining officer presence on Britain’s streets, this investment represents a crucial first step in rebuilding neighbourhood policing.

“This doubled funding – increased from December’s provisional £100 million commitment – reflects the scale of the challenges that many forces face, as well as the Government’s determination to address them.

“As part of a wider billion-pound boost to policing, this dedicated funding will strengthen local crime prevention and community safety. One of the government’s key pledges within its Plan for Change is that every neighbourhood will have a named, contactable officer, helping to restore the local knowledge and presence that effective neighbourhood policing demands.

“These extra officers will see a return to the principles of British policing – where officers are part of the communities they serve and are focused on tackling crimes like anti-social behaviour, theft and knife crime that are blighting our communities.”

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said this major investment marks “a turning point for policing in this country”.

“By doubling extra neighbourhood funding to £200m, we are giving forces across the country what they need to put more officers and PCSOs where they’re needed most – on our streets and in our town centres,” she said.

“Every neighbourhood deserves dedicated officers who know their patch, understand residents’ concerns and can tackle problems before they escalate.

“Restoring local policing will not happen overnight, but this funding boost will get more officers into our town centres and rural areas.”

This investment is scheduled for the next financial year. Each force will set out their plans to government by early spring, showing how they will use their allocation to increase visible patrols.

The rebuilding of local, visible policing in all communities will be supported by the new Police Standards and Performance Improvement Unit and new standards for neighbourhood policing.

In addition to thousands more personnel in neighbourhood policing roles, the Government has pledged to continue to help forces to protect officer numbers.

National Police Chiefs’ Council chair Chief Constable Gavin Stephens said: “We welcome the investment in neighbourhood policing, which is a vital part of how we engage with our communities, building trust and confidence locally.

“Working with our communities and partners to problem solve, tackle anti-social behaviour, supporting victims of domestic abuse, and diverting young people from offending are just some examples of the challenging and rewarding work officers do.

“Visibility and engagement with local communities has always been central to the British policing model and police leaders are in agreement that it must always remain at the heart of what we do.”

The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) joint leads for police funding, police and crime commissioners (PCCs) Roger Hirst and Joy Allen, said: “We know the public want to see more officers on the streets, so the government’s announcement that they are doubling their ringfenced funding to £200 million for additional neighbourhood officers is welcome. This will be a good start towards the overall increase in neighbourhood officers they want to see over the course of this Parliament.

“Policing budgets remain under pressure. The degree of challenge varies between forces, but PCCs and chief constables face difficult choices to be able to maintain the level of resources needed, and a workforce configured to respond to the demands on policing.

“PCCs and deputy mayors are committed to providing the best possible police service to the public and will hold chief constables accountable for delivering a more visible police presence in our communities.”

The APCCs joint leads for local policing, PCCs Matt Storey and Chris Nelson, added: “We very much welcome the additional £100 million the Government has announced ringfenced for neighbourhood policing over and above the £100 million they pledged at the end of last year. It shows they have heard what PCCs have long argued for on behalf of the public – visible officers out on the beat in the community, preventing and tackling crime.

“Whilst we recognise the continued challenges many PCCs and local forces face in the current financial climate, this extra money will provide greater flexibility for chief constables to structure their workforce so that it best suits the needs of their area, including vital police staff who are integral to the deployment of frontline officers to keep the public safe.”

Commenting on the £100 million increased funding for community policing, Unison national officer for police staff Ben Priestley said: “Neighbourhood policing has been shattered after a decade and a half of cuts under previous Conservative governments. Extra cash is welcome and sorely needed.

“But forces must do everything possible to use this money to properly fund all police staff roles. “It’s a false economy to focus spending on officers at the expense of other vital jobs.

“Cutting back on trained, experienced staff means police officers are taken away from the frontline community work the public expects.

“PCSO numbers have dropped by more than half since 2010. Without building this number back up, it’ll be impossible to improve visible policing.

“The situation in Essex where the county’s force is to disband its PCSO workforce entirely to save money is a case in point. It’s also a direct threat to government ambitions to rebuild neighbourhood policing.

“Financial penalties if forces miss rigid targets for officer numbers should be scrapped and chief constables should be allowed decide what’s best for their area.”

Neighbourhood Watch chief executive officer John Hayward-Cripps said: “Neighbourhood Watch is delighted that the Government is further increasing the investment in neighbourhood policing.

“With the increased demands on the police, and public confidence at a low point, a focus on neighbourhood policing is key to the police being visible, approachable, and engaging proactively with the public.

“This injection of investment will increase public confidence in the police and enhance feelings of safety within local communities.”

With the latest British Retail Consortium’s Annual Crime Survey warning retail crime was  ‘spiralling out of control’ (see https://policeprofessional.com/news/retail-crime-spiralling-out-of-control/), Paul Gerrard, Co-op director of Campaigns and Public Affairs, said: “We welcome the Government’s commitment to boost neighbourhood police officer numbers to help protect local communities from crime, as a community-based retailer, we all too often see the significant and damaging impact of retail crime and anti-social behaviour in society.

“We know and have seen the results that effective partnerships with local policing makes a real difference, and I am cautiously optimistic that this latest development along with continued investment in preventative measures and the rising levels of police attendance can start to reverse retail crime levels, and help communities become stronger, more resilient and, safer.”

The Government will publish its final Police Funding Settlement today (January 31). Total funding to police forces across the country will be up to £17.5 billion next year, an increase of around £1.1 billion compared with the 2024/25 police funding settlement. This includes additional funding to support the costs of the pay awards, the increase in the employer national contributions and funding for officer maintenance.