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Labour is taking back our streets
Our “Safer Streets” mission isn't just about policing—it’s about restoring confidence, rebuilding our communities, and making every neighbourhood a place where people feel safe and supported.
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We know that years of under-investment and cuts under the Tories have left people in Wakefield and Rothwell disillusioned with policing.
Foot patrols dwindled, so you rarely seen any police on the beat, and Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) were halved.
Meanwhile, violent crime remains stubbornly high, with over 50,000 knife crimes reported in the year to June 2024. Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) continues to plague society, with millions affected by domestic abuse, sexual assault, and stalking.
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At the heart of our plan is a long-term mission to halve knife crime and VAWG within a decade. But this isn’t just a numbers game—it’s a strategy to transform how policing works and how communities engage with law enforcement.
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A key part of the plan is the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, a promise to put 13,000 additional officers, PCSOs, and special constables back into local communities. We'll restore visible, responsive policing that deters crime and builds trust. We will also ban dangerous weapons and tighten controls to keep lethal blades off the streets.
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It's already making a visible difference in local communities. In Wakefield city centre, the number of neighbourhood police officers has doubled, with five new officers now patrolling the area as part of a broader effort to tackle antisocial behaviour and retail crime.
Meanwhile, Leeds (which includes the Rothwell part of the constituency) has received a boost of 35 additional officers, reinforcing its city centre presence. These deployments are part of a wider strategy to ensure that every community has a named, contactable officer who knows the area and its people.
A neighbourhood policing guarentee.
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The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee will place a renewed focus on preventing the criminality plaguing the streets with visible, accessible officers that will deter offending and reassure locals they will be kept safe. It will have five key principles:
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1) Police back on the beat. A Neighbourhood Policing Team in every local area, with intelligence-led and visible patrols, including in town centres and on high streets. It will ensure these officers are protected from being deployed elsewhere.
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2) Community led. A named, contactable officer for every neighbourhood, responsive to local problems, and residents and businesses having a say on the policing priorities for their area.
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3) Professional excellence. A new career pathway for neighbourhood policing, delivered by the College of Policing, with new standards for professional excellence to ensure neighbourhood policing teams are trained to be proactive problem-solvers.
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4) A crackdown on anti-social behaviour. Neighbourhood policing teams equipped with tougher tools, and supported by other agencies, to tackle persistent anti-social behaviour (ASB). This includes the new Respect Order to enable swift enforcement against prolific ASB offenders, and a dedicated lead officer in every force working with communities to develop a bespoke ASB action plan.
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5) Safer town centres. A crackdown on shop theft, street theft and assaults against retail workers, so local people can take back their streets from thugs and thieves.
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