PRESS RELEASE : Government kick-starts plan to restore neighbourhood policing [September 2024]

The press release issued by the Home Office on 10 September 2024.

Specialist neighbourhood policing training will be rolled out across the country as the government kicks off its pledge to restore neighbourhood policing.

With crimes that blight communities on the rise, like shoplifting, snatch theft and antisocial behaviour, the government has pledged to put thousands more neighbourhood police officers, community support officers and special constables are out patrolling streets and town centres.

As a first step towards this goal, the Policing Minister will today announce nationwide rollout of a new training programme for neighbourhood policing officers developed by the College of Policing, to improve standards and consistency across forces.

The Neighbourhood Policing Pathway, which is currently being trialled and based on evidence of what works, will help officers build on the core skills they need to tackle the issues communities face every day. This will include helping officers build relationships across local communities and give them the skills and confidence they need to solve issues that affect local residents.

In a speech delivered at the Police Superintendents’ Conference today, Dame Diana Johnson, the Crime and Policing Minister said:

Too many town centres and high streets across the country have been gripped by an epidemic of anti-social behaviour, theft and shoplifting which is corroding our communities and cannot be allowed to continue.

There are thousands of incredible police officers and support staff doing an admirable job. But we have to face the reality that there are still too many victims of anti-social behaviour who feel that when they call the police, no one listens and no one comes.

Our neighbourhoods and police forces have suffered enough after a decade of decline, and this government will help restore neighbourhood policing, with skilled, resilient and dedicated local cops.

Every community deserves local officers who understand what is needed to keep them safe, and with this new training and our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, we will deliver the change our towns and villages are desperate for.

The College of Policing’s Neighbourhood Policing Programme Career Pathway focuses on problem solving the issues that affect local residents, like drug dealing or drug use in public places, nuisance behaviour on our streets which causes harassment and street drinking. It will also cover community engagement, supporting officers to build relationships which help to gather intelligence, cut crime and develop plans to address local issues. There is also specific training for those who lead neighbourhood teams.

The most recent crime figures showed that 35% of people have experienced or witnessed anti-social behaviour in their local community in the last year alongside a 30% annual rise in shoplifting, which remains at a record high.

Chief Constable at the College of Policing, Sir Andy Marsh, said:

Dedicated training for neighbourhood officers by the College of Policing will help transform the service policing provides to local communities and help deliver trusted and effective policing that cuts crime and keeps people safe. This programme is based on years of evidence of what works and I’m confident it will make a real difference.

This is a welcome investment by the government and the College of Policing, that will support dedicated and hardworking officers and staff to protect their communities, cut crime and rebuild trust and confidence.

Good neighbourhood policing, which, at its core is about engaging with local people on local issues, is a vital part of any police force, if they are to be effective and help people feel safe.

First launched in June, the training has been piloted in 11 forces, including Northumbria, North Wales, Derbyshire and the Metropolitan Police. When fully rolled out, the training programme will be available to police forces across the country to enrol any neighbourhood officer or PCSO on.

The pilots are expected to finish at the end of March 2025, after which the training programme will be refined before being expanded across the country.