Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she will take to increase community policing to help tackle levels of crime.

Decisions about frontline policing, and how resources are best deployed, are for Chief Constables and democratically accountable Police & Crime Commissioners. They are best placed to make decisions based on their local knowledge, enabling them to adapt and respond to the changing crime mix and priorities of their communities.

We are continuing work to increase the number of police officers in England and Wales. As at 30 September 2022, 15,343 additional officers have been recruited in England and Wales as part of the Police Uplift Programme. This amounts for 77% of the target of 20,000 additional officers by March 2023.