Retailers have “strongly welcomed” reforms aimed at restoring visible neighbourhood policing.
Under new plans announced by the Home Office on Monday, police officers in England and Wales will be expected to attend emergencies within 15 minutes in urban areas and 20 minutes in rural areas. Police forces will also be required to answer 999 calls within 10 seconds.
The new time restrictions will apply if there is a danger to life, an immediate threat of violence or the possibility of a serious injury or damage to property, or if a crime is in progress, reported the Guardian.
Currently, data on response times is collected differently across forces, and police are not held accountable if targets are not met, according to the Home Office.
Reforming the system would create “more transparency and consistency” across the country, it said.
Failure to reach the new targets would see the home secretary send in experts from the best performing forces to help improve response times.
Home secretary Shabana Mahmood said the changes were needed to tackle rising everyday crimes and delays in police responses: “People are reporting crimes and then waiting hours or even days for a response. By the time the police arrive, the perpetrators and witnesses are long gone.”
As part of reforms, the government aims to restore visible neighbourhood policing through an extension of the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee.
Every council in England and Wales will have named, contactable officers, with residents guaranteed a response to neighbourhood concerns within 72 hours, it said.
A new training programme called The Neighbourhood Policing Pathway has been piloted in 11 forces to help equip officers with the best tools to gather intelligence and catch offenders. The programme is now being rolled out nationwide.
Independent retailers praised the focus on neighbourhood policing. The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) said visible police presence is the most effective way to deter crime.
“We strongly welcome the government’s extended Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee,” said James Lowman, chief executive of the ACS.
“Retailers should be confident that when they report a crime, it will be investigated, repeat offenders will be identified and effective penalties applied. These measures alongside the Crime and Policing Bill must deliver more effective neighbourhood policing and ensure repeat offenders are brought to justice.”
The police reforms announced this week are to be applauded, said the Fed. “For far too long we have raised the issue of a lack of police presence in local neighbourhoods and poor response times,” said the Fed’s national president Hetal Patel.
”As a result, many of our members have been reluctant to report every incident of shoplifting and abuse.”
Paul Gerrard, director of campaigns, public affairs and policy at Co-op, said the commitment to faster response times sent a “loud and clear message” to criminals.
He added that effective partnerships with local police and government had contributed to a reduction in retail crime at Co-op stores in 2025.
“Local stores play a vital role, part of the fabric of local community life, and we all must continue to do all we can to protect them,” said Gerrard.
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