“Devastating police failures” such as the case of Henry Nowak have led to people seeing the force as a “ghost service”, Kemi Badenoch has said.
The Conservative leader told the Police Federation conference that families, including that of Mr Nowak, have been left “suffering” as a result of mistakes made by officers.
The 18-year-old student was handcuffed as he lay dying after being fatally stabbed in Southampton on December 3 2025.
In police body-worn camera footage Mr Nowak can be heard repeatedly saying: “I’ve been stabbed,” to which an officer replies: “Don’t think you have, mate.”
Ms Badenoch also said she would be unable to give police a “massive pay rise” on day one if the Tories return to power.
The Conservatives have pledged to hire 10,000 more police officers, and deploy them to crime hotspots should they return to power.
The Tory leader told the conference: “I have met families who have suffered because of devastating police failures.
“Look at the case of Henry Nowak, and I know that many police officers – many of you, like all of us – were shocked by the decisions that were made that day.
“We can understand why people lose faith in the police when they’ve watched that video footage of Henry’s last moments.
“Often, instead of (being) given answers, those families then have to fight to uncover the truth themselves about what happened.
“…Right now, I know that you are stretched so thinly. Many in the public feel that you are becoming a ghost service. We’ve got to fix that.”
On pay rises, she said: “Now, I know that you would also like a massive pay rise as well.
“I’m sorry that I can’t promise that just yet – at least not on day one.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch speaking at the Police Federation conference in Hammersmith (Stefan Rousseau/PA)
PA Wire
“I am not going to stand here and promise something without a plan to pay for it.
“Too many politicians have done that, and it only leads to disappointment.
“We have to be real. We can all see our country is running out of money and until we fix our economy, it will be very difficult to afford real pay rises.”
Elsewhere in her speech, Ms Badenoch said she was “not scared to wade in” and back officers facing lengthy misconduct proceedings.
She continued: “Too often these days, we fail to recognise sacrifice and service. Whether it’s hounding brave and elderly veterans through the courts, hounding police officers who try to do the right thing, or even ordinary members of the public who step in to help only to find that they’re in trouble themselves.
“It’s no wonder the people in this country are becoming too scared to wade in, too scared to do the right thing. Well, I am different. I am not scared to wade in, and I am not scared to back the police.”