Officers have been pulled from the beat, breaking the vital connections with the areas they serve. Knife crime claimed 262 lives last year alone, and we have seen a disturbing rise of offences from shop theft to spiking and drug gangs destroying children’s lives by exploiting them for criminal activity. Meanwhile, public confidence has been damaged by misconduct, while police chiefs are also crying out for radical reforms to help deliver better value for taxpayers. This government has acted.