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East Midlands Minister celebrates success of neighbourhood policing strategy

1 April 2008
CAB038/08

Minister for the East Midlands Phil Hope went on patrol with his local neighbourhood policing team as the Government met its promise to have a team in every area by April 2008.

Yesterday also saw the launch of a new Policing Pledge that will agree a set of minimum standards for policing and give people a greater say and influence over how their streets are policed.

Visiting the Safer Communities Team at the Kingswood Estate in Corby, the Minister said:

“I am delighted to say that every neighbourhood in the East Midlands now has its own policing team dedicated to tackling local problems. Three years of hard work by forces across the region means every household from Corby to Cleethorpes and from Worksop to Wellingborough has a local team with a name and phone number.

“Our experience in Corby shows just how well neighbourhood policing works. Since the scheme was introduced here crime has fallen dramatically, with burglaries down 43% and robberies down 68%. And residents are getting to know their dedicated officers – 64% of people here know who their local officers are.”

From today, every household across the East Midlands will have a dedicated neighbourhood policing team to help to solve local problems – contactable by phone or through community meetings. Contact details are now available online at www.direct.gov.uk/neighbourhoodpolicing [External website]

The new policing pledge, to be introduced later this year, will set out a national standard of what people can expect from their neighbourhood policing team.

The standards could include arranging to visit at a convenient time, regular reporting on the progress of detecting a crime, how a victim of crime is treated and supported, and how and when local crime information is provided to the public.

Neighbourhood policing teams will also be working with communities to set local priorities – whether it's tackling anti-social behaviour, drugs or alcohol related crime for example. By drawing up local policing pledges, local people will have a real say over how their streets are policed.

This new approach is part of the Government's wider reform of policing and coincides with the start of new Public Service Agreements which set out the Government's clear commitment to focus policing around local priorities, as well as continuing to tackle serious crime.

Notes to editors

1. Photos of the Minister with Neighbourhood Police Team are available from Alex Marklew in the Cabinet Office press office – call 020 7276 0436 or 0799 0533 685.
2. Today national advertisements are running to increase awareness of neighbourhood policing so members of the public know who their local team is, how to contact them, what they will be delivering and where they could engage with them. This is in support of regional and local communications activity being run by the Home Office and police forces as part of the ‘a name for every neighbourhood’ campaign. This campaign was launched in March and will continue into May.
3. There are 514 neighbourhood policing teams in the East Midlands, and more than 3,600 nationwide.
4. A summary of the new PSAs relevant to policing, along with the Home Secretary Strategic Policing Priorities, can be found in the National Community Safety Plan 2008-11[External PDF].
5. The Casey review, led from the Cabinet Office, is currently looking at what further reforms need to be introduced so that the public, the police and other criminal justice organisations can work together more effectively to reduce both crime and the fear of crime further. It will report by June 2008.
6. For further information on Neighbourhood Policing please contact the Home Office newsdesk on 020 7035 3838. For further information on the Minister for the East Midlands, please contact the Cabinet Office press office on 020 7276 0436.

Tel: 020 7276 0436

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