Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Public Confidence in Policing

Monday 25 November 2024 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial steps include putting 13,000 more police and police community support officers back on the beat.
  • Public confidence in policing decreased under the previous Conservative Government.
  • The Home Secretary emphasized the need to address antisocial behaviour and reduce serious violence.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Jake Richards Lab Rother Valley
Policing & Resources Crime & Law Enforcement
Context

The question follows from a broader issue of declining public trust due to reduced police visibility and crime resolution rates over the last Conservative Government.

Question

What steps her Department is taking to increase public trust and confidence in policing. I am concerned about the decrease in police presence on the streets and the impact it has had on solving crimes, leading communities to feel more insecure and less confident in law enforcement.

Answer from Yvette Cooper

Public confidence in policing fell under the last Conservative Government, as we saw a big drop in police on the beat, with fewer crimes solved. This Government are determined to turn that around by putting 13,000 more police and police community support officers back on the beat.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer does not address how public trust will be specifically increased or what actions beyond hiring more officers are planned.

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Q2 Jake Richards Lab Rother Valley
Policing & Resources
Context

Residents of Dinnington expressed concern about ongoing crime and lack of police presence, despite optimism regarding a local regeneration project.

Question

Can the Home Secretary reassure the residents of Dinnington that this Government will rebuild community policing, which was utterly let down over 14 years of Conservative Government?

Answer from Yvette Cooper

My hon. Friend is exactly right. The percentage of people seeing police on the beat each week has dropped by two thirds over the past 14 years. This Government will put 13,000 more police and police community support officers back on the beat.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer does not specifically address rebuilding community policing in Dinnington or detail how it will be done.

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Q3 Oliver Dowden Con Hertsmere
Policing & Resources Community Security
Context

Local volunteers struggled to manage traffic for a Remembrance Sunday event, while police were seen addressing unrelated incidents in the area.

Question

Does the Home Secretary share the despair of my constituents at this allocation of resources, and will she provide guidance for next year's Remembrance service, both on police powers and the responsibilities regarding those marches?

Answer from Yvette Cooper

I point out that the state of policing is a result of 14 years of Conservative Government. This Government have made clear what the priorities should be for policing, including tackling antisocial behaviour and reducing serious violence. We respect Remembrance Day.

Not addressed: The answer does not address the allocation of resources or provide any guidance for future events.

How: Changing Subject To Past Government Actions

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Q4 Katie Lam Con Weald of Kent
Policing & Resources Crime & Law Enforcement
Context

More than 13,000 non-crime hate incidents have been logged in the past year, taking significant police time and undermining public trust.

Question

How will the right hon. Lady know if her changes have worked? What is the metric, and is there a target? If the changes do not work, will she restrict investigations to take place only when there is an imminent risk of an actual crime?

Answer from Yvette Cooper

We have made clear what we believe the priorities should be for policing: neighbourhood policing and reducing serious violence on our streets. We take a common-sense approach to policing decisions, and recent inspectorate reports recommend addressing inconsistencies in handling non-crime hate incidents.

Not addressed: The answer does not provide specific metrics or targets for evaluating policy effectiveness.

How: Broad Statements About Common-Sense Approaches

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