Braverman Calls for ‘Commonsense Policing’ as UK Hits Target of 20,000 New Police Recruits

Home secretary says focus should be on "criminal justice, not social justice"

New recruits salute during a passing-out parade at Hendon Police Academy in north west London, England, on Oct. 27, 2022. PA

Home Secretary Suella Braverman has called for a “commonsense” approach to enforcing the law in England and Wales and has said there is a “damaging” perception from the general public that too often the police are actually “supporting militant protesters.”

Braverman’s comments came only hours before the Home Office revealed it had hit the target of recruiting more than 20,000 new police officers in England and Wales—meeting a pledge made in the 2019 Conservative Party election manifesto to recruit 20,000 officers by March 2023.