Prime Minister Keir Starmer has unveiled the Labour government’s landmark Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, a major initiative designed to reverse years of declining visible policing and tackle soaring rates of crime and antisocial behaviour. The plan promises to deliver 13,000 additional neighbourhood police officers, PCSOs, and special constables by 2029—a 50% increase aimed at restoring order and rebuilding trust.

Speaking on Friday, Starmer described the pledge as “a bold step toward safer streets,” saying it would end the postcode lottery of policing by ensuring every community has dedicated, contactable officers tackling local problems directly.

Rising Crime and Falling Trust

The announcement follows damning government figures showing that nine in ten crimes went unsolved last year, while over one million incidents of antisocial behaviour—including shoplifting, vandalism and street crime—were recorded across England and Wales.

“Everyone deserves to feel safe and secure on the streets they call home,” Starmer said. “Yet for years, communities have been left behind as visible policing vanished and low-level crime escalated.”

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper added: “Neighbourhood policing used to be the heartbeat of British policing. We’re bringing it back to restore public confidence.”

What the Guarantee Promises

The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee includes several key commitments:

• Dedicated Local Patrols: Named officers assigned to every community, with a guaranteed presence in town centres and known crime hotspots—especially on Friday and Saturday nights.
• Antisocial Behaviour Leads: Each police force will appoint a dedicated officer to tackle local issues like nuisance vehicles, public disorder, and noise complaints.
• Public Accountability: A new Police Standards and Performance Improvement Unit will oversee implementation and provide an online tool for the public to monitor progress.
• Training and Prevention Focus: From June 2025, the College of Policing will begin rolling out specialist training for neighbourhood officers to equip them to deal with modern policing challenges.

Scrapping the £200 Theft Threshold

In tandem with the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, the government is pushing through the Crime and Policing Bill, which will introduce:

• ‘Respect Orders’ to curb repeat offenders of antisocial behaviour.
• New powers to seize nuisance vehicles.
• Warrantless searches for electronically tracked stolen goods.
• Abolishment of the £200 threshold, meaning even low-value shoplifting will now be prosecuted.

The measures come in response to complaints from retailers and communities that shoplifters operate with impunity due to the existing threshold.

Mixed Reactions from Public and Experts

Social media reactions to the announcement have been largely supportive, though some remain sceptical. On X, one user wrote: “More police on the streets sounds great, but will they actually solve crimes?” Another said: “About time—our town centre is a mess on weekends.”

Emily Spurrell, Chair of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, welcomed the plan: “Neighbourhood policing is essential to prevent crime and build community trust.” However, she cautioned that delivery will depend on adequate resources and support from central government.

Kurtis Christoforides of Police Now, which recruits and trains officers, called the pledge “tremendously exciting” and aligned with their mission to transform communities through modern, empathetic policing.

Challenges Ahead

Analysts agree the initiative faces hurdles. Recruiting and training 13,000 officers over four years will require not only significant financial investment but also structural reform. Police budgets remain under strain, and retention remains a challenge.

Still, the emphasis on prevention is widely supported, with research showing that visible policing reduces crime rates and improves public confidence. The Office for National Statistics has repeatedly cited a connection between unsolved crime and eroding trust in the justice system.

A New Era for British Policing?

The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee signals a dramatic policy shift, reversing over a decade of cuts and aiming to re-anchor police forces within the communities they serve.

As Starmer put it: “This is about restoring the sense of safety and order that every person deserves. It’s time to bring policing back to the people.”