RUSHES: Keir Starmer sets out Labour policies on crime and policing

Keir Starmer sets out Labour policies on crime and policing; ENGLAND: Staffordshire: Stoke-on-Trent: Vale Park (Port Vale Football Club): EXT Keir Starmer MP (Labour Leader) interview SOT (on plans for crime reform, investment in police, confidence in police, how quick changes will be felt if Labour win election, coronavirus Covid-19 enquiry, publishing his text returns, not being nervous) Reporter: Plans for reform - ambitious KS: They are ambitious because intend to fix fundamentals, not doing easy bit. halve instance of VAWG and knife crime, I know hard but important. It can be done - can put experts in 999 call centres to pick up domestic and sexual abuse, more support for victims, specialised rape courses. things we can do, we need determination from govt. failure in past 10 years to grip this. an incoming labour govt would do this. people around country say if you can halve it, will make such a difference Reporter: will require many more police officers and money. KS: require concerted effort - 13k more officers. want them to be neighbourhood officers, police confidence was what we set out, the real connection with the police. not going to do short term fix, will be a relief Reporter: How do you measure confidence? KS: Number of measures in confidence with police - confidence is going down. can see why, govt's hollowed out policing, haven't had effective strategy for crime, people think police wont come, and public give up on idea of policing which is so corrosive. hard ambitions of halving VAWG and knife crime, want incoming labour govt to put our shoulder to wheel. Reporter: if win next election, when will people in communities start noticing changes? KS: some changes could be done very quickly. perfectly possible to put experts in 999 rooms, rape specialist units in every force and courts that accelerate rape cases very quickly. fact a young person can buy a machete online as easily as they can a football, is something that sh...