'We need to restore respect and recognition for remarkable work of the police'

Pride was mixed with deep sadness among the 14 heroic police officers I presented the Police Bravery Award to last year.

They had shown the most extraordinary courage, wading into the freezing waters at Babbs Mill Lake in the West Midlands, when four children tragically fell through the ice, forming a human chain in the water as part of their desperate efforts to get them to safety.

The overwhelming emotion as they collected their award was the deep distress that those young lives had been lost, and thoughts of the families left bereft. For me that moment captured British policing; the selfless service that saw those officers run towards danger, putting themselves in harm’s way, their determination to keep others safe, and their compassion for those they sought to protect and their loved ones.

Tonight, at this year’s awards, we will hear more stories of service and sacrifice. I have been attending these awards for more than a decade as I believe passionately that our country needs to recognise the bravery police officers show every day to keep the rest of us safe.

As new Home Secretary, those dedicated officers will always have my backing and my support. Each year I am struck by the same refrain from officers who receive accolades for their bravery: “I was just doing my job”.

Policing really is a job like no other – officers go to work never knowing what they will face that day, but knowing their overwhelming responsibility is to uphold the law and protect people. That is public service at its finest and it must never be taken for granted.

It is clear, in recent years confidence in policing and the criminal justice system has fallen. Problems with standards have cast a long shadow. Community concern about antisocial behaviour, rising street crime and shoplifting have soared, but there are fewer neighbourhood police on our streets and there is a growing fear that when things go wrong, no one will come and nothing will be done.

This Labour Government of service is determined to make it a mission – one that rises above party politics – to work with police forces and communities to restore confidence and trust. That means bringing neighbourhood police back into local communities.

It means a stronger role for the Home Office, ensuring standards go up and problems are swiftly tackled. And it means a shared mission to make our streets safe.

But first, we need to restore respect and recognition for the remarkable work of the police – not just those receiving bravery awards tonight, or those who will posthumously receive the new Elizabeth Emblem in the coming year, but all of those who work tirelessly every day to keep people safe.

Safety and security are the bedrock on which all other opportunities in our country are built. That’s we’re determined to deliver on our mission to rebuild confidence in policing, to restore respect for the rule of law and to make our streets safe.