Reversing police cuts may not solve all problems, but it is a good start

We understand Martin Hewitt’s point, but recruiting extra police officers certainly makes the challenges easier to face

(PA)

Recruiting 20,000 extra police officers “is not the answer to all the challenges we have”, Martin Hewitt, the new chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, tells The Independent.

We understand his point, but we feel bound to point out that it certainly makes those challenges easier to face. That is why there was such a broad consensus at the last election that the cuts to police numbers of about the same number were a mistake.

Boris Johnson’s promise of 20,000 additional officers was outbid by the Labour manifesto, which promised to recruit 2,000 more than whatever the Conservatives planned.