Taking back our streets, villages and town centres. Restoring respect for law and order. Giving the police and our local communities the support and tools they need to tackle crime.
These are three things that during the General Election, just over a year ago, I promised to make a priority on behalf of all those who put their faith in me to represent them again in Parliament.
It is pleasing, therefore, to see the UK Labour Government confirming that it is putting more bobbies back on the beat, delivering up to 33 new neighbourhood police officers for Dyfed Powys within a year.
The news comes as part of a £200m investment by the UK Government to kickstart recruitment of 13,000 police officers and PCSOs nationwide. This initial funding will see almost 3,000 more police officers and PCSOs in neighbourhood roles across the country by next March with more to follow after that.
In addition, Labour’s Crime and Policing Bill making its way through Parliament represents the biggest package of measures on crime and policing for decades, with 50 new laws to cut crime and make our streets safer.
It includes action on antisocial behaviour, violence against women and girls as well as knife crime. Protecting retail workers is also a priority with the creation of a new offence of assaulting a retail worker and the removal of legislation which makes shop theft of and below £200 a summary-only offence.
Other areas that the Bill focuses on include protecting vulnerable children and adults, tackling child sexual abuse (including implementing recommendations from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse) and new powers to tackle serious, organised crime.
This action shows the difference that having a Labour UK Government can make.