On Monday 21st October, Ruth Cadbury MP asked the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, what steps the Government is taking to improve neighbourhood policing in West London.
Hounslow, like other London boroughs, is still recovering from the decision by the previous Government to reduce the number of frontline police officers in London. With crimes like shoplifting at a 20-year high, Ruth questioned Ministers on the Government’s new Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee. In her question Ruth asked the Home Secretary whether West London “will get the neighbourhood policing teams we need?”
In response Home Secretary Yvette Cooper responded:
“My hon. Friend is right that we now have thousands fewer police officers and PCSOs on the streets than we had a decade ago. This includes the previous Government halving the number of PCSOs and cutting the number of special constables by two thirds. This newly elected Government are working at pace to introduce a new neighbourhood policing guarantee, putting police officers and PCSOs back on the streets. We have also announced funding and support for the College of Policing to begin the national roll-out of specialist training for neighbourhood officers in order to professionalise and strengthen the work they do in every corner of the country. This new guarantee will ensure that officers are once again visible in communities, with guaranteed local patrols and a named officer to turn to when things go wrong.’’
Commenting in full after her question Ruth said,
‘‘I know from listening to residents across my constituency that people desperately want to see more bobbies on the beat. Regular foot patrols by officers help to deter crimes like burglaries, theft and drug dealing, and they give local people a chance to talk to officers and raise concerns.
I know from working with our experienced neighbourhood teams in Brentford and Osterley that they do amazing work, getting to know local people and neighbourhood groups. This can make a huge difference in preventing and solving crime . I’m pleased that not only are the Government putting more police back on the street, but also improving training and support for officers.
When I ran for re-election in 2024, I promised to continue to campaign for more police officers and I will continue to work to make our local area safer.’’