Labour believes that we should be, and feel safe in our homes, our workplaces and our communities.
We are committed to ensuring a police service fit for the 21st century. That starts with backing neighbourhood policing and prioritising the frontline.
The Tories plan is failing. Because of the Conservatives’ decisions, neighbourhood policing – the foundation of good British policing – is at risk of disappearing. They promised to protect the frontline – but that promise is shattered. There are now far fewer police officers protecting our streets and communities than in 2010, but the Tories want to go further with plans to cut thousands more police officers over the next Parliament. There are delays in responding to 999 calls, but the Tories wasted £75 million bringing in elected Police and Crime Commissioners that nobody wanted and hardly anyone voted for.
Nia Griffith, Labour’s candidate for Llanelli said
“We have seen the Tory Dyfed Powys Police commissioner put a stop to monitoring our town centre CCTV cameras, and let his Tory bosses remove our police helicopter. What ever happened to the party of law and order? It is high time to get rid of the Tory UK Government, and get Labour in to ensure the safety of our communities.
Labour has a better plan that will make us safer, with neighbourhood policing restored at the heart of local communities, new professional standards in our police service, tough new laws to tackle domestic violence and sexual crime, and a greater focus on new forms of crime, like online crime which are increasing.
Labour will:
Scrap the Tories’ unpopular Police and Crime commissioners and put the savings back into frontline policing instead.
Strengthen local accountability with communities given a say in the appointment of local police commanders.
Raise professional standards in the police.
Prioritise women’s safety and appoint a new Commissioner to set minimum standards in tacking domestic and sexual violence.
Introduce stronger laws to protect children, including a legal duty to report child abuse and stronger powers for the police to intervene.
Labour will devolve to the Welsh Government the powers to shape the priorities for policing in Wales. Under Labour Welsh Ministers would have the power to draw up an All Wales Policing Plan..
Only Labour can change the Tory’s policy.