Keeping people safe is one of the core duties of any government. Having a properly equipped, efficiently run and well respected system of policing is central to delivering that.
Serious crime is coming down but everyday crime like antisocial behaviour and shoplifting is still rising, leaving too many of our local communities feeling less safe.
Crime is also changing rapidly, becoming more organised, digital, and cross-border but, often, our policing remains subject to outdated structures and ways of working.
Tackling this requires strong neighbourhood policing that keeps communities safe and effective national policing to tackle serious and organised crime.
That is why the reforms announced last week by the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, have huge potential in transforming the fight against crime and in putting the needs of every law-abiding citizen in our community first.
They will deliver visible, accessible and community-focused policing, including 13,000 additional neighbourhood officers across England and Wales. Shop theft, assaults on shopworkers and other similar offences will no longer go unpunished, as they regularly did under the previous Tory Government, and a cast iron focus will be applied to reduce unnecessary red tape and embrace the opportunities provided by AI so more police officers can spend time on the beat rather than behind a desk.
The plans will revolutionise policing leadership, abolishing Police & Crime Commissioners and making Chief Constables more transparent and accountable for their decisions and performance.
Running alongside that a significant reduction in the number of different police forces will eliminate unnecessary duplication and save money which can then be invested in new tools and technology on the front line. These new regional forces will be complimented by a new national police force, the National Police Service (NPS). This will take in more national crime-fighting responsibilities, including counter-terrorism policing, serious organised crime and fraud. Once it is in place, it will mean that local forces are no longer distracted by national responsibilities which will greatly benefit many communities, including those here locally in Llanelli.
Following recent high profile cases, the proposals will also take action to improve the culture of policing, reforming vetting and misconduct systems and tackling unethical and discriminatory behaviour by officers.
They will create a modern workforce, where chief constables have greater flexibility to recruit and retain those with the skills required to tackle the threats we face. A comprehensive national workforce strategy will ensure we have a police workforce with the skills to meet current and future demands.
£115m will be invested over the next 3 years to enable rapid and responsible adoption of AI and automation technologies including rolling out the use of Live Facial Recognition (LFR) technologies, with 40 new LFR vans to be deployed in town centres across England and Wales.
However, prevention is always better than cure and a renewed emphasis on pre-empting people entering the criminal justice system and stopping crime happening in the first place is also welcome. Investing in youth programmes, better co-ordination locally and nationally to identify problems before they escalate and improved use of data will all make a massive contribution to this.
Life is changing more rapidly than ever before and we can no longer rely on what might have worked years ago. Change is inevitable and when it comes to keeping our streets and communities safe is absolutely essential.
These proposals are ambitious but deliverable and exactly what is needed both here in Llanelli and across the rest of the country.