Source · Select Committees · Home Affairs Committee
Recommendation 16
16
Acknowledged
Numerical recruitment targets for neighbourhood policing risk cheap hires and lack of experienced officers.
Conclusion
We commend the efforts of police forces to maintain business-as- usual policing, particularly the importance attached to maintaining neighbourhood policing. Nonetheless, the disorder and subsequent investigations have had a knock-on impact on other areas of policing, including neighbourhood policing. The Government’s focus on strengthening neighbourhood policing is welcome, as is the flexibility that the Government is allowing forces to recruit to neighbourhood teams. However, it is important that the right mix of staff, including experienced officers, are being brought into neighbourhood policing teams. The use of numerical targets for recruitment, at a time when police budgets are under pressure, risks introducing an incentive to hire cheaply. (Conclusion, Paragraph 58)
Government Response Summary
The government outlines its neighbourhood policing programme for 2025/26, committing £376.8 million to maintain officer numbers and stating that workforce mix decisions are local but forces are expected to deliver suitably. It does not explicitly address the concern about ensuring the 'right mix' of experienced officers or avoiding hiring cheaply.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
For the purposes of funding and conditions for the neighbourhood policing programme, the local base for each force is set as at March 2025. We have been working closely with policing to develop the neighbourhood policing programme. Our approach to delivery in 2025/26, which is year 1 of a multiple year programme across parliament, is designed to deliver an initial increase to the neighbourhood policing workforce in a manner that is flexible and can be adapted to the local context and varied crime demands. Whilst the precise workforce mix proposed is a local decision, we expect forces to approach delivery in a way that is locally suitable and effectively contributes to the manifesto commitment of delivering a 13,000 increase by the end of this parliament. An assessment of progress and learnings from year 1 of delivery will be used to inform delivery models for future phases of the programme. With regard to preserving the total number of officers across all policing functions, the Government is committed to ensuring police forces are supported to tackle crime effectively. Visible policing is essential to restoring public confidence in the police. As a result, the Government’s expectation is that officer numbers must be protected in 2025–26. For 2025–26, £376.8 million will be available to forces to maintain officer numbers. This funding will be distributed as follows: • £270.1 million will be ringfenced funding, which PCCs will be able to access, as in previous years, by demonstrating that they have maintained their officer numbers.