Story perspectives

New Funding Focus: More Officers on Streets, Less Admin

1/21/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said new police officers should be active on the streets rather than in administrative roles.
She cancelled a grant that incentivized police forces to meet officer headcount targets.
Mahmood will implement ring-fenced funding specifically for neighborhood officers.
The change replaces the officer maintenance grant established in 2019 by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, which aimed to recruit 20,000 officers by 2023.

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Story summary

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said new police officers should be active on the streets rather than in administrative roles.
She cancelled a grant that incentivized police forces to meet officer headcount targets.
Mahmood will implement ring-fenced funding specifically for neighborhood officers.
The change replaces the officer maintenance grant established in 2019 by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, which aimed to recruit 20,000 officers by 2023.