Labour unveils plans for police reform

24 March 2023

Proposals to help officers clamp down on violence against women and girls have been welcomed by Nottinghamshire Police Federation.

Branch chair Simon Riley was speaking after Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer unveiled his party’s plans for police reform.

In a speech in Stoke-on-Trent, Sir Keir said: “Policing must start to serve women and minorities, no more excuses.

“Modernising the police is also the first step we need to take on halving violence amongst women and girls.”

He said a Labour government would place specialist domestic abuse workers responding to 999 calls in every police control room, and set up a specialist rape unit “in every police force”.

Sir Keir vowed to “reverse the collapse in the proportion of crime solved”and halve levels of violence against women and girls within a decade if he wins power at the next general election.

He also pledged to halve serious violent crime and raise confidence in the police and criminal justice system after Baroness Casey’s report on the Metropolitan Police.

Sir Keir said the importance of “visible neighbourhood police” was “crystal clear” and repeated a promise to recruit 13,000 extra officers and “get more police on the beat”.

He said Labour would also prioritise “fighting the virus that is anti-social behaviour: fly-tipping, off-road biking in rural areas, drugs”.

The Labour leader said policing “must change” but he warned: “It’s going to be a long, hard road.”

Simon said he welcomed any measures that tackled violence against women and girls and helped restore confidence in policing.

He said: “Our members want to deliver a service that the people of Nottinghamshire can relate to and have confidence in.

“Violence against women and girls must never be tolerated and we back any reform that helps officers clamp down on this disgusting crime.

“Being able to put extra officers on the beat will help us win back some lost trust and also act as an important deterrent in the battle against the antisocial behaviour which has become a serious issue in some areas.”