Labour candidate for Wolverhampton North East and Shadow Housing Minister, Emma Reynolds, has welcomed the Labour party’s plans to protect neighbourhood policing. Labour has identified savings which will enable police forces to safeguard over 10,000 police officers over the next three years. Labour’s Crime and Justice Manifesto also pledges to legislate to introduce a new Local Policing Commitment, to make sure police forces guarantee neighbourhood policing in every area.

Emma, who is seeking re-election as a Member of Parliament, said “the last Labour government introduced community policing. But it is now at risk thanks to the Tories’ reckless plans. In order to safeguard over 10,000 police officers, a Labour government will make £800 million worth of efficiency savings including scrapping expensive police and crime commissioners and ending the police subsidy of gun licenses. The Tories have ruled out all of these savings and their plans for steep cuts after the election will mean cuts to frontline police officers.”

“Because of the Conservatives’ decisions, neighbourhood policing is at risk of disappearing. Labour has a fully costed plan to preserve neighbourhood policing.”

“We will also put victims at the heart of the criminal justice system, by introducing the country’s first ever Victims’ Law. This will improve the way that victims of crime are treated by the police and the courts. Labour will make it mandatory to report suspicions of child sexual exploitation, and tackle the wider problem of violence against women and girls. We will also ensure the police have the powers they need to keep us safe, including proper controls for dangerous terror suspects”