Yvette Cooper has promised to “take Britain’s town centres back from thugs and thieves” by putting 13,000 bobbies back on the beat in communities across the country.
The shadow home secretary lashed out at the Conservatives after a “decade of dereliction” on law and order, laying bare the damage done to policing and the criminal justice system.
And she unveiled plans for a visible army of neighbourhood police and PCSOs with tough new powers to “crack down on those causing havoc on our high streets”.
In her first major intervention of the general election campaign, Ms Cooper said: “Labour will rebuild safety on Britain’s streets and take back our town centres from thugs and thieves, with 13,000 more neighbourhood police and PCSOs back on the beat in our communities, tough new powers to crack down on those who cause havoc on our high streets, and a mission to reverse the collapse in the number of crimes being solved.”
It came as the Labour Party published a damning dossier of the Conservatives’ record on crime. The document claimed that, on Rishi Sunak’s watch:
- Snatch thefts of mobile phones have almost doubled, from 30,000 to 58,000.
- Total thefts against the person (such as pickpocketing) have soared from 206,000 to 321,000.
- Robberies have increased by 13 per cent, and by over 50 per cent since 2015.
- Knife crime has increased by 7 per cent, an astonishing 80 per cent surge compared to 2015, with more than 20,000 knifepoint muggings every year.
- The proportion of the public reporting high levels of antisocial behaviour in their areas has reached record highs, with 20 million people experiencing or witnessing it in the last 12 months.
Ms Cooper added: “That is the Tory legacy on law and order, and our communities are paying the price.
“Labour will put an end to Tory chaos and be a government of law and order, putting the safety and security of our communities at its heart and taking back our streets.”
The party is promising to follow the neighbourhood policing approach of the last Labour government, which saw her predecessor David Blunkett roll out dedicated policing teams in every neighbourhood.
But Ms Cooper said she will adopt a modern focus, using the latest technology and data analysis to drive so-called “hotspot policing” in crime-ridden areas.
Her approach was backed by Steve White, former chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, who said effective neighbourhood policing can end the scourge of antisocial behaviour.
He said: “Investment in the basics of good policing, with the right level of resourcing in the right place and a renewed focus on what matters to communities, supported by proper training and a visible presence, is what will make the difference.”
Former Devon and Cornwall chief constable Stephen Otter also backed the plan, adding: “Only if local people have a relationship with the police in their area will trust and public participation in policing be restored. Without the public’s support, policing becomes less effective and our streets more and more unsafe.”
The plan would see Labour bring 13,000 neighbourhood police and PCSOs back on the beat in communities across the country.
Ms Cooper promised the officers would be visible, deter crime and catch criminals.
Labour said the plan will cost £360m per year and be paid for through savings in the procurement process.
It has promised to set up a body through which forces would pool purchases of equipment such as cars, IT systems and forensic services in order to cut costs.
But Chris Philp MP, policing minister, said:“This policy isn’t worth the paper it’s written on. This is the same party that fought to keep violent murderers and sexual offenders in Britain by stopping deportation flights and tried to take tasers off our police.
“Only 3,000 of their proposed new officers would be full time officers with the power of arrest and 3,000 of them are officers this government has already recruited; contrast that with the Conservatives who have recruited record police numbers with 20,000 more since 2019.
“The choice is clear in this election, stick with the bold action and clear plan under Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives that has driven crime down by 54 per cent since 2010, or go back to square one with Labour.”
