Lib Dem HQ have circulated the following template press release with localised data on shoplifting which can be used to provide a tailored response to the police reform white paper announcement.
Context
The Government has set out a host of changes to police forces. They will be reducing the number of police forces in England and Wales from its current level of 43, and tell them to focus on serious and organised crime. Police chiefs have been calling for the creation of 12 "mega forces" to save money and boost crime-fighting efforts. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood also pledges to cut "red tape" and "unnecessary admin" that she says prevents officers from leaving their stations. She will also promise faster response times for emergencies by setting a national standard for 999 calls.
Line to take
At a time when police stations and front desks are disappearing, people want visible, trusted officers and a clear local point of contact. Labour already promised the public 13,000 more police officers, but instead officer numbers have fallen - by March this year, we had 4,000 fewer frontline officers than the year before. Crimes like shoplifting, bike theft, tool theft and more are going unchecked, leaving ordinary people to pay the price. In [COLUMN B], rates of shoplifting have gone up [COLUMN E] since last year, reaching a total of [COLUMN D] incidents in the year ending June 2025.
That’s simply not good enough. If the Government is serious about restoring neighbourhood policing, it needs to step up, get this right, and get more officers back onto our streets
Proactive line
“Promises by press release are all well and good, but the Government must deliver. The former Conservative government destroyed neighbourhood policing and left our communities to pay the price.
“Labour already promised the public 13,000 more police officers, but instead officer numbers have fallen - by March this year, we had 4,000 fewer frontline officers than the year before.
“It’s the public that pays the price - in [COLUMN B], rates of shoplifting have gone up [COLUMN E] since last year.
“If the Government is serious about restoring neighbourhood policing, it needs to step up, get this right, and get more officers back onto our streets.