The relationship between the police and the Home Office has never been simple – from Theresa May overseeing controversial cuts to police numbers, to Suella Braverman effectively accusing the force of bias.

The tone of this year’s National Police Chiefs’ Council summit was markedly different.

Yvette Cooper wants a “fundamental reset” of relationships. But that doesn’t mean the task is easy or that public trust has been restored.

The Home Secretary says there must be “mutual respect between officers and the people they serve” – and neighborhood policing is key to this aim.

“Common sense approach”

But greater police visibility, more “bobbies on the ground”, are not only a question of resources, but also of priorities.

After recent backlash, the Prime Minister suggested police should focus on crimes rather than non-criminal hate incidents – where there is no criminal offense but the person reporting it incident believes the incident was motivated by hate.

Does the Minister of the Interior agree? Speaking to reporters after the speech, she repeatedly reiterated the need for “common sense and a consistent approach.”

But one person’s common sense may not be another’s.

The opposition has spotted an opportunity here, as the shadow justice secretary said: “Police the streets, not the tweets.”

Numbers aren’t the only thing that matters

The Home Secretary hopes greater efficiency will save police time and says today’s announcement of a new police performance unit and national body of police will make this possible.

The reforms, which have £500 million in funding, will require a new central database for more up-to-date information and additional monitoring of police performance.

In the short term, however, it is difficult to see how a new, more centralized system will not lead to more bureaucracy.

The obvious solution to allowing more police officers to be on the ground is to increase the number of police officers.

During the election campaign, Labor pledged to recruit 13,000 more officers, and the Home Secretary reiterated that promise today. I understand that an announcement on the police figures is expected within the next week.

Numbers matter, as does tone.

Resetting and truly managing the difficult relationship between the Home Office, the police and the public could be one of the things that defines the Home Secretary.