Mohammad Yasin MP backs Labour’s plan to bring back neighbourhood policing, after 75% cut to PCSOs across the region

Everyone has a right to feel safe and secure in their homes and in their community.

But the Eastern region has faced 75% cuts to Police Community Support Officers since 2010 – the worst cuts across England and Wales. In numbers, our region has lost 1,108 PCSO’s since the Tories came to power.

My constituents in Bedford and Kempston aren’t just worried about the impact of these cuts to community support officers on rising crime levels but the brazen nature of criminals who’ve been allowed to engage in criminal activity such as drug-dealing and anti-social behaviour with impunity.

The charge rate for every single crime type has fallen sharply over the last seven years and overall arrests have more than halved nationally since 2010.

Reported rape and sexual offences have hit record highs nationally but action against rapists stands at just 1.6%. Robbery charge rates are down from just over 17% to just over 6% and charge rates for drug offences have fallen from over 30% to just over 19%.

There is a national court backlog of 62,000 outstanding cases that are yet to go to trial and a record 17,000 victims have been waiting over a year for their case to be heard in the Crown Courts.

The last Labour government introduced neighbourhood policing and cut crime by a third. That’s why the next Labour Government have a fully funded package for 13,000 extra neighbourhood police on our streets, the equivalent of giving every constituency in England and Wales 15-20 extra neighbourhood police, formed of officers, PCSOs, and Specials. We will also bring in 'respect orders', a new form of anti-social behaviour order (ASBO), with tougher sentences for offenders.

Labour has long recognised that being tough on crime works best when you’re also tough on the causes of crime. And that means a much bigger focus on prevention. Labour will crack down on serious, violent crime and prevent young people getting drawn into crime and criminal gangs.

Under Labour’s plans to tackle violence against women and girls we would put a specialist rape unit in every police force, to make sure every victim has access to specialist support and investigators who are rigorously trained to solve these complex crimes.

This would be reinforced by fast tracking rape cases in courts to bring down the unacceptable waiting times and delays which are causing so many victims to drop out and toughening up sentencing for rape to a statutory minimum of seven years.

Labour will strengthen the use of Community Sentences and create Community and Victim Payback Boards (CVPBs) to give communities and victims more control over bringing antisocial behaviour offenders to justice.

The next Labour government will take action to prevent crime, punish criminals and protect communities. That is why I have and will continue to campaign for Bedfordshire Police to be given the resources they need to tackle community-based crimes.