Policing Minister urged to turn ‘warm words into action’

25 September 2024

North Yorkshire Police Federation has welcomed the new Policing Minister’s commitment to neighbourhood policing and to stand by police officers who are assaulted on duty – urging her to turn her words into action.

Dame Diana Johnson MP used her address at the Police Superintendents’ Conference earlier this month (10 September) to heap praise on the police response to the summer riots. These had been triggered by the appalling murder of three children in Southport.

Dame Diana said: "At a time when we should have been focused only on supporting those affected by the attack and allowing the urgent police investigation to get underway, we instead found ourselves responding to an outbreak of widespread violent disorder.

“The hijacking of those poor families’ grief at that time was utterly shameful as was the violence directed towards police officers working to maintain order and protect the community. The swiftness of the response by policing and the wider criminal justice system was fundamental to getting the situation under control and restoring order. So, we recognise your service and your sacrifice.”

Dame Diana Johnson MP.

As part of a national mobilisation plan, more than 40,000 officer shifts were worked over that 10-day period, with over 6,600 officers deployed on one day alone.

The policing minister continued: “The fact that arrests were being made within hours and convicted offenders behind bars facing prison time within days not only showed we were serious when we said there would be a price to pay for criminality on our streets, but it also demonstrated to the law-abiding public that this behaviour will not be tolerated.”

Assaults

The Kingston upon Hull MP, a former chair of the Commons Home Affairs Committee, said she was appalled at figures revealed in September showing that assaults on blue light workers were still 'far too high'. Agreeing with the Home Secretary that this was a 'stain on our society' she added it will not be tolerated.

Dame Diana pledged to 'restore respect for the rule of law' on British streets, including respect for the police, which has sadly become eroded. To achieve this would require allowing police to get back to the basics, such as neighbourhood and town centre policing, tackling anti-social behaviour, theft and shoplifting.

“There are still too many victims of anti-social behaviour who feel that when they call the police, no one listens, no one comes and nothing is done,” she conceded, promising a new Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, restoring patrols to town centres, recruiting “thousands of additional police personnel”, and ensuring every community has a “named local police officer” to turn to.

She announced initial funding to support the College of Policing to roll out a specialist new training programme for neighbourhood officers.

Police Covenant

Labour will also roll-out a 'radical Young Futures prevention programme', said the Minister, which would provide early intervention for those at-risk, and announced plans to halve violence against women and girls over the next decade.

In response, North Yorkshire Police Federation chair Rob Bowles commented: “We welcome the Minister’s commitment to renewing neighbourhood policing and much else, including the Police Covenant and standing by our members who are assaulted on duty.

“It would be churlish to say that we have heard warm words before, and I am mindful that this is still a new government, not yet three months in office, but policing will want to see actions and investment to back up words of support. I urge the policing minister and her colleagues to deliver."