• Police forces set to receive record levels of funding to keep communities safe.
  • New Neighbourhood Policing Ringfence to get officers out from behind desks and on the beat.
  • Builds on 14% increase in neighbourhood police officers in six months.

The North East will see a significant boost to the number of neighbourhood police officers on its streets, as the government is set to invest a record £18.4 billion to cut crime and catch criminals.

Each police force across the country is set to receive a real-terms increase in funding next year, including:

  • Up to £196.2 million for Cleveland Police, a cash increase of 3.6%
  • Up to £186.9 million for Durham Constabulary, a cash increase of 4.8%
  • Up to £440.3 million for Northumbria Police, a cash increase of 4.3%

Local forces across England and Wales will receive up to £18.4 billion, an increase of £796 million compared to last year and a 2.3% real terms increase.

This includes an additional £50 million to help deliver the government’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, which will put an additional 13,000 neighbourhood policing personnel into roles by the end of this parliament.

In April last year, the government pledged to put 3,000 officers into neighbourhood roles within 12 months to drive down crime and anti-social behaviour that is blighting town centres and residential areas. Almost 2,400 additional neighbourhood officers have been put into post in the six months up to the end of September 2025, a 14% increase since the end of March 2025.

From April, the government is scrapping the outdated Officer Maintenance Grant and replacing it with a new Neighbourhood Policing Ringfence. This will guarantee forces deliver on targets for neighbourhood policing, while freeing them from the burden of arbitrary officer headcount targets.

Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, said:

“Since taking office, this government has increased police funding by nearly £2 billion.

“We are restoring neighbourhood policing, with nearly 2,400 more neighbourhood officers in our communities.

“And we are now reforming policing, so local forces protect their communities, and national policing protects us all.”

Since 2023, police chiefs have been forced to maintain arbitrary officer headcounts each year via the Officer Maintenance Grant. This has led to forces hiring uniformed officers and then, in some cases, putting them in back-office roles instead of out in communities, tracking down suspects and attending call outs from victims.

As a result, the number of trained officers in support roles has soared by over 40% to more than 12,600 in the last six years, while the total number of officers only increased by around 20% in the same period.

The government will end the Officer Maintenance Grant, marking a significant shift to put more officers in our communities and high streets to fight crime and catch criminals.

The grant will be replaced by a new Neighbourhood Policing Ringfence, allowing forces to put together a workforce mix to meet their local needs and priorities.

On Monday, the Home Secretary announced the largest reforms to policing since the police service was founded two centuries ago.

A £119 million investment in 2026-27 will kickstart these reforms, including the creation of a new national centre for AI in policing, rolling out live facial recognition across the country, and boosting data capabilities across the policing system.