Yvette Cooper MP Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, responding to the HMIC report ‘Police forces meeting the challenge of austerity’, said:

“This report confirms the serious threat to neighbourhood policing - despite the fact that it should be the cornerstone of effective British policing. HMIC say their concerns are growing.

“In many areas, there are neighbourhood police only in name. What people used to think of as neighbourhood police teams now have to cover 999 emergency response, traffic calls, and detective work rather than being on the beat.

“PSCOs are also being cut to the bone, and neighbourhood work is becoming a ‘nice-to-have’ rather than a cornerstone of policing. With rising violent crime and a growing justice gap, this is a retrograde step.

“Though I commend Chief Constables for working hard within tough financial constraints, it is clear ministers have not supported forces in achieving savings. Instead 70 per cent of the budget cuts have been found by reducing police numbers, including more than 14,000 frontline officers."