Wales is set to see a noticeable increase in neighbourhood police officers on its streets as the UK government prepares to invest a record £18.4 billion in policing across England and Wales. The funding boost is part of a wider effort to cut crime, tackle antisocial behaviour and rebuild visible policing in local communities.
For many residents, including migrant and diaspora communities who often live in high-density urban areas, the return of neighbourhood policing is about more than numbers. It is about feeling safer in town centres, on estates, and around local shops where crime and disorder can have an outsized impact on daily life.
Every police force in Wales will receive a real-terms increase in funding next year. Dyfed-Powys Police is set to receive up to £170.9 million, while Gwent Police will see funding rise to £205.2 million. North Wales Police is allocated up to £235.8 million, and South Wales Police will receive the largest share at £458.9 million. Across England and Wales, police forces will share up to £18.4 billion, an increase of £796 million compared to last year and a 2.3 percent rise in real terms.
A key part of the funding package includes an additional £50 million to support the government’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee. This scheme aims to place an extra 13,000 neighbourhood policing personnel into frontline community roles by the end of the current parliament.
Last year, the government pledged to deploy 3,000 officers into neighbourhood roles within 12 months to help tackle crime and antisocial behaviour affecting residential areas and high streets. Progress has been rapid, with almost 2,400 additional neighbourhood officers already in post in the six months up to the end of September 2025. This represents a 14 percent increase since the end of March 2025 and signals a shift away from policing that feels distant or reactive.
From April, the government will also scrap the long-criticised Officer Maintenance Grant and replace it with a new Neighbourhood Policing Ringfence. The previous system required forces to meet rigid officer headcount targets, which often resulted in trained officers being placed in back-office roles rather than working directly with the public.
Under the new ringfence, police forces will be required to deliver on neighbourhood policing outcomes while having greater flexibility to decide how best to deploy staff based on local needs. This change is expected to result in more officers patrolling streets, responding to incidents, and building relationships with communities.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the government has increased police funding by nearly £2 billion since taking office and is restoring neighbourhood policing, with thousands more officers now visible in communities. She added that reforms are underway to ensure local policing protects neighbourhoods while national policing tackles wider threats.
Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said people across Wales deserve to feel safe and confident that crime and antisocial behaviour will be tackled effectively. She said record levels of funding will help forces put more officers on the streets and strengthen neighbourhood policing across the country.
The reforms come after years in which the number of trained officers working in support roles rose sharply. Over the past six years, officers in these roles increased by more than 40 percent to over 12,600, while the total number of officers rose by only around 20 percent. Ending the Officer Maintenance Grant is seen as a decisive move to reverse that trend and prioritise frontline policing.
The funding announcement follows the Home Secretary’s unveiling of the largest reforms to policing in two centuries. A £119 million investment planned for 2026 to 2027 will help launch a new national centre for artificial intelligence in policing, expand the use of live facial recognition, and strengthen data systems across police forces.
For diaspora communities in Wales, many of whom already feel the pressures of rising living costs, housing challenges and safety concerns, the renewed focus on neighbourhood policing could bring visible change. More officers on the streets, quicker responses, and stronger community engagement have the potential to rebuild trust and improve everyday safety.
At Chijos News, we continue to track how major UK funding decisions affect real people and real neighbourhoods, especially those where migrants and ethnic minority communities are deeply rooted. This latest investment signals a shift toward policing that is closer to the people it serves — and that matters.