Member

It is in the public interest to have more officers on the streets, so we support the noble Baroness’s intention behind Amendment 429 that local authorities should focus their attentions on providing officers who are well versed in community-based support. We do not, however, accept the premise that the Government should mandate that individuals be trained specifically for these community-oriented duties in every local authority. This seems both to misplace resources and to misunderstand why police officers are so effective.