Local shops have welcomed planned reforms to the policing system aimed at prioritising responding to and dealing with neighbourhood crimes like shop theft and anti social behaviour.

Under new reforms announced this week as part of the Policing White Paper, response officers will be expected to reach the scene of the most serious incidents within 15 minutes in cities and 20 minutes in rural areas, and forces will be expected to answer 999 phone calls within 10 seconds. These new targets will ensure that all forces provide the same level of police response to crimes.

The Home Office states that currently, data on response times is collected differently across forces, and police are not held accountable if targets are not met. It says that reforming the system will create more transparency and consistency across the country.

Where forces fail to deliver, the Home Secretary will send in experts from the best performing forces to improve their performance, including when unmet response time targets are part of broader systemic failing.

As part of the reforms, the government has committed to ramp up its pledge to restore visible neighbourhood policing and patrols in communities through an extension of its Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee. This has already placed named, contactable officers in each neighbourhood. Under the extension, every council ward in England and Wales will have its own named, contactable officers, creating more local points of contact and giving officers a deeper understanding of the issues in their area.

Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, said: "Everyday crimes are on the rise across the country and too often there seem to be no consequences. People are reporting crimes and then waiting hours or even days for a response. By the time the police arrive, the perpetrators and witnesses are long gone. I will restore neighbourhood policing and scale up patrols in communities to catch criminals and cut crime."

Association of Convenience Stores Chief Executive James Lowman said: "Retailers tell us that the single most effective way to deter crime in communities is to have more police presence. We strongly welcome the government's extended Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, and will work with both national government and local forces to further build the relationships between officers and businesses.

"Retailers should be confident that when they report a crime, it will be investigated, repeat offenders will be identified and effective penalties applied. The measures announced today, alongside the wider changes coming in the Crime and Policing Bill, need to deliver more effective neighbourhood policing and more of these repeat offenders being brought to justice. Local shops are committed to working with the police to make this happen."