Labour unveil plan for neighbourhood policing as stats show 43% cut to PCSOs in Crawley’s Region

The Tories are failing to keep local communities safe, with shocking new analysis revealing huge reductions in staffing for neighbourhood policing in the South East.

The number of PCSOs across the South East has collapsed by 43% since 2010. At the same time, the most recent crime statistics show a 42% increase in reported robbery since 2015 and huge 82% increase in knife crime in the South East.

Labour has pledged to bring back neighbourhood policing by putting 13,000 more neighbourhood police on Britain’s streets, including recruiting at least 10,000 more officers, PCSOs and specials.

Labour’s plans are the equivalent of giving every constituency in England and Wales 15-20 extra neighbourhood police – formed of officers, PCSOs, and Specials.

Across the country, the number of PCSOs has halved since the Conservatives came to power in 2010. In the same period, the proportion of people saying they never see a police officer on the beat has doubled.

Having first been elected in 2010, working with the police I saw first-hand the difference PCSOs made to meeting Crawley’s policing needs and the real-world impact of the cuts over the years. Only Labour has a plan for addressing the shortages and seeing levels restored back to what our neighbourhoods need.