December sees dangerous behaviour and disorder fall across Project Shield Hotspot areas

CRIMINAL damage, motorbike disorder, running on rail tracks and threatening behaviour – these are just some of the issues and concerns officers and partners have tackled as part of targeted Project Shield activity in December.

The Project sees police, local authorities and transport providers join forces to deliver extra patrols in 15 areas identified through data as hotspot areas for anti-social behaviour and serious violence.

In December, the increased visibility and youth engagement work has helped deliver an overall fall of 36% in ASB, and an overall fall of 26% in serious violence across the hotspot areas, making a positive difference to local communities.

This was the first festive period since Project Shield was launched by Police and Crime Commissioner Susan Dungworth in the Summer. Comparing figures from last December with the same month this year shows the project is helping drive significant reductions in key areas of concern for local residents.

Collectively, with partners, the project has delivered 16 arrests, seized 3 weapons, and carried out 25 stop and searches in December alone. There have also been 7,500 engagements with members of the public.

As well as arrests, cautions and travel bans targeting offenders causing harm and disorder, the project has also helped prevent harm by safeguarding some vulnerable members of the community such as raising child concerns.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Susan Dungworth, said: “Project Shield shows we are working together to tackle the issues affecting our communities most. It focuses on identifying problems to stop them resulting in criminal activity and we’re doing this through a really visible, proactive presence and boosting engagement. I am pleased at how much of a joint effort it is – everyone involved is fully on board. The numbers show together with a number of interventions in these areas, the targeted approach of Project Shield is paying off and delivering real reductions.

“Investing in additional patrols and increased activity specifically in hotspot areas is key to us delivering safer streets and stronger communities and people are noticing the impact the project is having tackling local issues all over the force area.”

Northumbria Police Chief Superintendent, Jo Park-Simmons, said: “These latest figures provide clear evidence that Project Shield is having the intended impact in tackling crime across our communities.

“Alongside our partners, we are quickly identifying problem areas within crime hotspots and targeting those who are intent in causing harm in our communities, while also working hard to seize weapons, make arrests and prevent further criminality.

“As always, we greatly appreciate the support of those we serve and would ask that you continue to assist us by providing information about crime and anti-social behaviour issues so that we can target our resources accordingly using a range of tactics.

“Together, we can keep our region among the safest places in the country to live, work and visit.”

Inspector Mary-Anne Snowden, of British Transport Police said: “Project Shield has been a great opportunity for British Transport Police to collaborate with policing and transport partners to ensure we are all working together to keep the public safe through each part of the journey. This initiative has enabled us to establish better communication with each other and has allowed us to increase high-visibility patrols in hotspot areas both in stations and on trains, to detect and deter crime. We continue to encourage the public to report any crimes or concerns to us on the rail network, and to save our discreet text-to-report number 61016 just in case they need us.”

Project Shield is delivered by Northumbria Police, British Transport Police, 6 Local Authorities, and transport providers and is funded through the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Northumbria.

ENDS

A Police and Crime Commissioner has called time on using ‘X,’ formerly Twitter, stating she “cannot, in good conscience be part of a community where hatred is so rife.”

Northumbria’s PCC, Susan Dungworth, announced her pledge to move away from the social media platform at a hate crime and community cohesion conference held in Newcastle on Friday.

In recent months, a growing number of businesses, police forces, councils, MPs, and charities have announced they have stopped posting on X or have removed themselves entirely from the social media channel. Many have made the move due to the spread of misinformation or disconnect with the site’s values.

Susan Dungworth echoed these reasons at a conference entitled ‘Being you is not a crime – communities tackling hate crime together.’ It was hosted jointly by Northumbria Police and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner. More than 160 practitioners from a range of backgrounds and professions attended to discuss the impact of hate crime and explore ways of promoting inclusivity and safety across the region.

Northumbria Police’s Assistant Chief Constable, Andrew Hill, opened the conference and attendees were also given a strategic overview of hate crime policy from Paul Giannasi of the National Police Chief’s Council.

Addressing the room at the conference, Susan made a pledge of her own, saying: “I give up my place in the Twitter community, my place is here in this room, in this positive community where all are welcome. Mr Musk can keep his blue ticks and toxicity – it’s not for me.

“I have seen far too many reprehensible posts – really disturbing content, attacks on gender and religion, homophobic and transphobic abuse, and racism. And let’s not forget the role social media played in stirring up the awful disorder experienced in Sunderland this summer. I cannot in good conscience be part of such a community where hate is so rife.”

She took the opportunity to highlight the swift robust policing efforts of Northumbria Police which has seen a growing number locked up due to the violence and harm they caused during the civil unrest.

She praised the efforts of faith groups and community members who rallied together to pick the region up again and get its strength back, as well as key services like Connected Voice and Streetwise who she funded to deliver emotional and advocacy support to people of all ages and ethnicities who were victimised or affected by the disorder.

She said: “I am very thankful to everyone who stepped up at a crucial time to not only protect but provide support of all kinds to whoever needed it. As Northumbria’s PCC, I’m totally committed to preventing hate crime in our communities and ensuring that victims receive the best possible support, and I’ll keep working with the Force to deliver this. Twitter might be a community full of hate, but we won’t let Northumbria be.”

POLICE and Crime Commissioner Susan Dungworth is encouraging residents across Northumberland and Tyne and Wear to have their say on the Force’s budget for the next financial year.

From today (Monday 6 January 2025), local people across the area are invited to give their views on spending plans for local policing – known as the police precept.

Keen to protect and sustain current service levels and ensure the Force continues to meet the needs of the public, Susan has launched a public consultation.

Police and Crime Commissioners are responsible for setting the police precept – which is the amount that local council taxpayers contribute towards policing.

The police budget is always based upon the Government’s assumption that each police force raises the precept by the maximum amount allowed, therefore anything less than this would mean the force would be required to review the service it delivers.

This means Northumbria Police’s allocated budget from Government assumes that taxpayers locally will contribute an increase of 78p per month for a Band A property. More than half of all properties in the North East are Band A.

The survey asks if people feel 78p per month is an acceptable increase to help keep the force appropriately resourced, meet budget pressures and allow for some investment. Potential areas include: preventing ASB in urban and rural communities, tackling fraud and online crimes, targeting offenders and preventing Child Sexual Exploitation, and increasing resourcing to help bring offenders to justice.

The survey also states that choosing not to pay a slight increase would mean significant budget challenges for the force, with reduced funding of over £5.9m, requiring associated cuts and efficiency savings to be identified.

Looking to the coming year’s finances, Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Susan Dungworth, said: “I have to set the scene here – the budget will be tight and there are difficult choices to be made – raising a precept being one. Sustaining current police levels by slightly increasing the police element of the council tax is what we need to happen if we are going to protect and sustain current policing levels – and we are all keen for that.

“We’ve already welcomed funding news from Government of around £3m for neighbourhood policing – a real commitment – but it doesn’t cover it all. We also await more special grant detail but, in the meantime, the Chief Constable and I are determined to map out a budget that offers real value for money for the people of Northumbria.

“We will do all we can to protect frontline policing and ultimately protect the public and this does come with a price tag. We can’t expect a new Government to put a decade’s worth of cuts and underfunding right in year – but we eagerly await details of the police reform plans to help deliver efficiencies nationally across the police service – and these are all great steps forward.”

She added: “I always want to hear the views of local people – everyone should play a role in shaping decisions that impact community safety.

“Setting the police precept is always challenging, particularly during times of high inflation, rising costs, and increasing demands on our police service. For me, it’s important we protect what we have got and continue to meet the needs of the public.

“Despite the challenging years of austerity, and the impact this had on officer numbers, we are working hard to undo those effects and will keep doing so.”

Northumbria’s Neighbourhood Policing Teams recently saw an increase of 134 dedicated officers, and last year’s precept increase funded a dedicated motorbike disorder team to deliver on priorities set by residents.

When asked what people can expect for their money this time, the PCC responded: “I want to work with the Chief Constable to tackle ASB, fraud and online crime and   strengthen all departments to help bring more offenders to justice. All of this requires additional funding though. This is why I am asking how much people are willing to pay to be able to help support our region’s efforts to deliver safer streets and stronger communities.”

To share your views, the consultation can be found online here

END

AS Christmas party season gets into full swing, Northumbria’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Susan Dungworth, has announced a cash boost of £30k towards upgrading Newcastle’s Safe Haven Van.

The Safe Haven Van is jointly funded by the Police and Crime Commissioner and the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) creating a go-to hub for safety and medical needs on a night out, for instance if some is lost or injured.

Moved from its regular location outside St Nicholas Cathedral, the van will be parked up on the Bigg Market for the festive season. It will be operating on Friday and Saturday nights through to the early hours of the morning, as more than 100K people come into Newcastle’s night-time economy every weekend – a figure that soars in the lead up to Christmas. With this in mind, the PCC is keen to ensure people know that the Safe Haven and other measures are in place so people can enjoy the safe and welcoming city.

At the Safe Haven Van’s site, police officers are joined by partners from the NEAS, Newcastle City Council Street Marshals and Newcastle’s Street Pastors, who come together to look after revellers.

The funding will see the van get a fresh make over ensuring it’s equipped for party goers to get help if they are in difficulty, sober up if they get too worse for wear, or even just to charge their phone so they can reunite with friends if they are lost.

The busy Christmas period also sees Northumbria Police ramp up wider policing efforts to help partygoers enjoy their nights out safely, extra patrols will be carried out as part of Operation Salus targeting anyone coming to the city centre who has a history of violence against women and girls and poses a threat to women’s safety. In the last year the Operation has made 350 interventions with men due to concerns around their behaviour, including 173 vehicle interventions.

Operation Salus protects those out on the town though a range of prevention measures including CCTV surveillance and Automatic Number Plate Recognition. Background work like this helps to stop perpetrators from targeting vulnerable people and addresses issues before they escalate, leaving people free to enjoy their evenings in safety.

As well as this activity, the Police Commissioner’s office invests in training staff who work in the night-time economy helping them to understand their responsibilities and how they can identify risk. The training which is delivered by the Violence Reduction Unit and Northumbria Police has been delivered to almost 600 people who work across the hospitality sector in bars, hotels and as security.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Susan Dungworth said: “A happy Christmas is a safe one. Thousands of people will be headed out onto Newcastle’s streets over the festive period, and it’s a policing priority to help ensure these people can enjoy their nights out safely.

“There is a great deal of work that goes on behind the scenes to protect people and train up staff, so they intervene and keep customers safe if hey spot sexual harassment. It’s important that everyone heading out over the festivities look out for each other – we just want people to have fun and stay safe.

“The partnership approach with the Safe Haven Van has worked well in recent years and it’s hoped that this joint working will once again lead to a safe and merry Christmas for the people of Newcastle. It’s important that people know it’s there and it’s important we invest in it, so it stands out and offers a safe comfortable environment when people need it.”

Chief Inspector David Wheeler, of Northumbria Police, said: “Newcastle is renowned as a fantastic place to enjoy an evening out and we want to keep it that way.

“This latest funding for the Safe Haven Van is very welcome as together alongside our partners we continue our pledge to assist members of the public and identify offenders.

“Proactive work within the city’s Night Time Economy such as Operation Salus is designed to keep you safe and where we see or are made aware of people committing crime, we take action, while also getting the appropriate support to those in need.

“If you or someone you are with needs help during a night out this Christmas, please do not hesitate to visit the Safe Haven Van or approach one of our officers on duty. Remember that we are here to help.”

Stu Holliday, head of emergency preparedness, resilience and response at North East Ambulance Service said: “Working closely with the police in the city centre means that we can assess and treat people quickly. This frees up our resources to help patients in the greatest need.

“The additional funding allows us to build upon the safe haven support we offer throughout the year. We want everyone to enjoy the Christmas celebrations without needing us, but the Safe Haven allows us to be there for those who do.”

The Safe Haven is also funded from the late night levy, an annual fee that since 2013 has seen businesses in Newcastle that serve alcohol between midnight and 6am contribute towards the cost of late-night policing and clean-ups.

Cllr Irim Ali, Newcastle City Council Cabinet member for communities, said: “Newcastle is a safe and welcoming city, and this Christmas we expect tens of thousands of people to come and enjoy our renowned Geordie hospitality.

“Our licensing and community safety teams work closely with pubs, bars and venues, emergency services, and partner organisations to make sure that everyone can have a good time, hopefully without incident.

“However, there will always be instances where some people may need more support, and so this investment in the Safe Haven – which sees so much good, collaborative work to aid those in need – can only be welcomed.”

Paul Waugh who co-ordinates Newcastle’s Street Pastors said: “The safe haven is a vital part of taking care of people who become vulnerable while out in the night time economy.

ENDS

STALKING prevention charity The Alice Ruggles Trust is appealing for volunteers to help deliver impactful awareness assemblies in secondary schools across Northumbria.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Susan Dungworth’s office is funding the project that aims to equip young people with knowledge around healthy relationships and stalking and help them know where to turn to for help.

Alice Ruggles, a Northumbria University graduate, was tragically stalked and subsequently murdered by her ex-partner in Gateshead in 2016. In the wake of her murder, her family set up a Trust in her name and embarked on a mission to put an end to stalking and prevent what happened to their daughter from happening to others.

Their work focuses on long-term prevention by sharing Alice’s story with as many young people as possible to educate them on how to recognise and respond to stalking.

To help raise awareness and spread their message further, The Trust is searching for outgoing and engaging people who want to be part of a team delivering 30-minute-long assemblies across the Northumbria Police force area.

The assembly covers the following:

• Understanding stalking is an obsessive, unwanted, repeated behaviour;
• Knowing that stalking includes online behaviours as well as physical;
• Recognising they can tell someone and talk the police if they are being stalked;
• Knowing how to support a friend; and
• Knowing that stalking is a crime.

Stalking is an offence that can completely control the life of a victim because of the obsessive and unwanted fixation shown by the suspect. It can take many forms, such as taking everyday actions to the extreme both in person and online.

Stalking is a crime affecting 1 in 5 women and 1 in 10 men and over 500,000 people under 25 each year. It is often an escalation of harassment, however as the level of obsession builds, behaviour can become more erratic and aggressive.

In the year to March 2023, stalking and harassment accounted for a third (34 per cent) of all police recorded violence.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Susan Dungworth, said: “Stalking is a crime which can cause major disruption to someone’s life, involving them living in constant fear and distress and, sadly, sometimes even murder as was the devastating case with Alice. It’s so important that victims of stalking, and those around them, recognise the seriousness of what is happening and the need to seek help as early as possible. Alice’s family have been tirelessly campaigning since her death, and I welcome the opportunity to get Alice’s story in front of as many young people as possible to help raise awareness and help prevent similar losses in future.”

Victoria Charleston, Managing Director at The Alice Ruggles Trust, said: “We are committed to trying to prevent what happened to Alice happening to others; to bring stalking to an end. We know that education is the key to reducing stalking. We are delighted to be offering our assemblies across Northumbria and would love to work with some brilliant, enthusiastic volunteers who want to make a difference.”

The Alice Ruggles Trust has free lesson plans and assemblies to educate young people.

The volunteering opportunity is great for anyone studying criminology, psychology, or is interested in a career in Violence Against Women and Girls or in education. Anyone interested should contact The Alice Ruggles Trust for further information. You will also

Written by JoJo Kirtley and performed by PCC Susan Dungworth at the Newcastle-Gateshead march on Saturday 30th November

Co-created with Northeast women & girls

Together we reclaim the night… this is the spark of our rebellion: The suffragettes pounded the Toon’s cobbled streets- chanting, ‘Votes for Women!’ we echo their strength and resilience. How many of us walk with one earphone in,
Listening for footsteps echoing behind? We reclaim the right to wear both earphones
losing ourselves in our favourite songs.
We dream of dancing on these streets, to the soundtrack of our lives, carefree, not looking over our shoulders.
Listening to Aretha’s Respect as we walk along the Tyne.
Florence & the Machine, Little Simz, a 90’S Cher anthem pulsing through our veins as we stride along the Quayside,
Little Mix’s Power, and one for the Swifties, as we cross the Millennium Bridge.
What an amazing sight. We reclaim the night.

Instead, walking home at night feels:
Uneasy. Hypervigilant. On edge. Eerie. This is what the girls said.
Every shadow, every sound, a warning. Public spaces stained with horror stories: whistles, catcalls – “Whey, it’s harmless, pet.” We grip our keys “just in case.” Do our sons feel this burden, or only our daughters? One in two women experiences harassment in public places,
And yet the weight of safety falls on us. We reclaim the right to exist without fear and demand to feel secure everywhere. Because – it’s safer for a squirrel in a park than a woman. And we’d rather face a bear than a man. Surely, safety is our basic right. We reclaim the night.

The patriarchy looms large, unchallenged, unaccountable. If we dare speak up, we’re labelled “difficult.” If our clothes are deemed provocative, we’re accused of “asking for it.” We reclaim our bodies from trauma and Hollywood ideals, breaking free from society’s expectations. We reclaim our voices from rule makers, online trolls, and demand the right to live on our own terms, celebrating our individuality. We refuse to shrink into corners, we reclaim our space, free from manspreading. Imagine a world without women’s voices: our laughter, our herstories, erased. The sound of your mam singing when she’s happy gone. It’s happening now—women being silenced Worldwide. And we could be next- unless we fight. We reclaim the night.

We reclaim respect from the sexism in our schools,
And demand teachers create a learning environment free from “get back in the kitchen.” Taunts, from lads who mansplain the big bang theory,
Even though we study triple science- thank you very much.
We reclaim our right to play football—howay the lasses! To wear knee-length socks without anyone saying its inappropriate We reclaim our independence and to feel comfortable in our own skin,
To have periods without feeling ashamed or disgusting,
For our mental and physical health to be taken seriously. We want a world where all our reproductive rights are safe and protected,
Where we can all wear summer dresses without comments like, “That’s a bit too tight.” We reclaim the night.

From the headwaters of the River Tyne, Tees and Wear to the shore of the North Sea,
We stand for our own liberation.
No matter your race or faith, whether a Magpie or a Black Cat,
We will never forget the daughters lost:
Sarah. Alice. Sabina. Nicole. Bibaa. Sara. Holly.
The list goes on, and the femicide continues.
Yet we’re still expected to say, “Not all men”
And endure relentless whataboutery.
We’re told the #MeToo movement has gone too far,
That it’s just “a few bad apples.” We don’t want to take the night away from men.
We want to share the moon, the stars, the Northern Lights equally.
How about all men be our allies and stand with us?
For every woman, every girl, every voice silenced by violence—
We believe you.
As Gisele Pelicot said, “It’s not for us to have shame; it’s for them.”
These streets belong to us too: Geordie women, black and white.
Because… we reclaim the night.