How we’re reconnecting policing to the communities they serve - Dame Diana Johnson

The message I heard then was crystal clear: visible neighbourhood policing has become diluted and devalued. That vital connection between police and community has eroded and, with it, public trust. This cannot continue.

That's why I'm proud to support our landmark Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee – a bold commitment to restore community-led, visible policing across Britain.

From July, every neighbourhood will have named, contactable officers who residents can turn to. Having a named officer will build positive relationships between the police and the public they serve, where they can build trust and confidence that comes naturally when you can relate to someone who knows your area and what matters most to you. This personal connection is at the very heart of effective British policing.

We’re promising that all enquiries made to neighbourhood teams – including about the antisocial behaviour plaguing our streets – will receive a response within 72 hours. No more being ignored. No more feeling abandoned when you need help.

But this is just the beginning.

Every community will have a dedicated antisocial behaviour lead working with residents and businesses to develop tailored action plans. Communities will also have a voice on what their local neighbourhood teams should prioritise. And we're committing that every force will patrol towns at peak times, giving the enhanced visibility and presence that our high streets have been crying out for.

These officers won't just be walking the beat – they'll be armed with specialist training to tackle the antisocial behaviour and street crime running rampant in our town centres, supported by new powers in our Crime and Policing Bill including Respect Orders and a new offence of assaulting a retail worker. In recent years, the number of people who regularly see police patrolling in their local area has halved. Meanwhile, there were one million incidents of anti-social behaviour last year, and crime in our town centres continues to soar.

It shouldn't matter where you live – everyone deserves local, visible policing they can trust and rely on. With our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, we will end the unacceptable postcode lottery that has left too many areas feeling forgotten or left behind.

By restoring confidence in local policing, we're determined to make our streets safer places to live, work and visit.

This is our Plan for Change. In the next four years, we will take back our streets and town centres, and this work starts now.

Dame Diana Johnson is Policing and Crime Minister and MP for Kingston upon Hull North and Cottingham.