Dr Luke Evans, Member of Parliament for Bosworth, has welcomed news that the Conservative Government’s 2019 manifesto commitment of recruiting 20,000 new police officers by April 2023 has been achieved.
When the manifesto pledge was made in 2019, the target number of new officers in Leicestershire was set at 297. This has been surpassed as the total number of new officers in Leicestershire is 332, which Dr Evans welcomed as “a sign the Government is honouring its commitment to making our nation’s streets safer.”
The national target, set for 20,000 new officers, has also been exceeded as the number of officers recruited since September 2019 stands at a total of 20,951.
This brings the total number of officers across England and Wales to 149,572, which exceeds the previous peak in March 2010 by over 3,500 (in March 2010 there were 146,030 officers).
This Conservative Government is tackling crime and protecting our communities by investing over £17 billion in our police, giving them the resources they need. Police funding includes £1.1 billion for tackling national priorities such as county lines drugs, child sexual abuse and modern slavery and the £100 million Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, making our streets and neighbourhoods safer for women and girls.
Since 2010, violent crime is down by 38% and Neighbourhood crime is down by over 50% – making our communities safer. Theft has been reduced by 20 per cent and domestic burglary by 30 per cent. Through stop and search, surrender initiatives and targeted police action since 2019, over 90,000 knives have been taken off our streets.
However, with new technology and the pandemic, fraud has become the most prolific crime. To combat this, the Government has appointed a new National Fraud Squad led by the National Crime Agency and the City of London Police – backed by 400 new posts, as well as investing £30 million in a state-of-the-art reporting centre which will be up and running in the year. The Government is also brining in new laws such as outlawing so-called “SIM farms”, technical devices which allow criminals to send scam texts to thousands of people at the same time.
Dr Luke Evans, Member of Parliament for Bosworth, said “From speaking to and working with our excellent local police force, I know just how valuable 332 more police officers will be in helping to crack down on crime and continuing to protect our community.
“These recruits mean there are now 2,338 police officers in Leicestershire and more police officers across the country than ever before, helping to pursue criminals and tackle anti-social behaviour.
“I welcome the Government’s commitment to keeping our streets safe, giving people peace of mind and delivering on the priorities of the British people.”
Suella Braverman, Home Secretary, added “Everyone deserves to feel safe in their communities, on their streets and in their homes.
“With a record 150,000 police officers across England and Wales, people can trust in the Conservatives to keep our streets safe and deliver for local areas.”
