A group of young people, supported by The Angelou Centre, hosted a powerful Culture Day in Newcastle, bringing communities together to celebrate diversity and foster unity in local areas.

Through sharing their personal stories and reflecting on the summer unrest, which united communities in standing against hate, the group sparked meaningful conversations at their Culture Day event, promoting community cohesion and positive change.

Funded by the Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit’s Local Youth Fund, the event featured a wide range of activities including art and history exhibitions, live music performances, food stalls, panel discussions, and educational workshops.

These activities were developed by the group to highlight the contributions of a diverse range of communities, and to engage attendees in conversations about identity, history and the importance of cohesion.

By creating an inclusive space for learning and understanding, the event not only amplified young people’s voices, but also showcased their significant role in tackling hate crime.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Susan Dungworth, said: “Crime driven by hostility and hatred based on personal characteristics is completely unacceptable. That’s why initiatives like Culture Day are vital in bringing communities together, fostering understanding, and empowering young people to take a stand against hate.”

“I was delighted to meet with these remarkable young people at The Angelou Centre last summer, where they told me all about their ambition to hold an event that would bring communities together to celebrate diversity. Now, thanks to funding through the Violence Reduction Unit’s Local Youth Fund, we have been able to help make their vision a reality.”

“Having consulted locally, my new police and crime plan will have a clear focus on preventing hate crime and supporting victims. I truly believe that by working together, we can create safer, stronger communities where everyone feels valued and respected.”

The funding provided through the Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit provides young people with a platform to share their views and innovative ideas, empowering them to participate in decisions made about their local area, and is part of a wider effort to address serious violence in communities.

For more about the Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit, email vru@northumbria-pcc.gov.uk.

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Northumbria households to continue paying the lowest police tax in the country

RESIDENTS across Northumbria will continue to pay the lowest police precept in the country, despite a small tax rise announced today.

Each year, the Police and Crime Commissioner is responsible for setting the amount of money households contribute to local police services through their council tax bill – this is known as the police ‘precept’.

Although from April 1^st, taxpayers in the Northumbria force area will be parting with a few extra pence a month, the figure is still considerably less than the amount that others pay elsewhere in the country – with some paying hundreds of pounds more a year for their local police service.

The cost of Northumbria Police to households across Northumberland, Tyne and Wear is set to rise £14 a year for a Band D property – as proposed by Northumbria’s Police and Crime Commissioner at the Police and Crime Panel in Gateshead today (Tuesday 4, February).

The increase was supported by the results of a public consultation ran by the Commissioner’s office during January 2025.

The precept rise is in line with Government expectations and will bring in an extra in £5.9m for Northumbria Police, which the Commissioner explained would help keep the force appropriately resourced, meet budgetary pressures and allow for some investment.

The announcement comes off the back of news last week that the new Government is putting an extra £100m into policing nationwide – doubling its financial commitment last Autumn. This additional funding is targeted at neighbourhood policing and can’t be used to support general budget pressures. Police budgets are still reliant on a third of their funding being raised through local taxes.

All funding is provided to the Police and Crime Commissioner who allocates finances to the Chief Constable to fund policing and the delivery of the Police and Crime Plan. A new Police and Crime Plan outlining a new set of priorities guided by local residents will be launched by PCC Susan Dungworth later this month.

The additional income generated through the precept will help support local policing throughout the force area. Potential areas for investment, backed by Northumbria’s Chief Constable Vanessa Jardine, include:

• Prevention of ASB in urban and rural communities.
• Tackling fraud and online crimes.
• Targeting offenders and preventing Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE).
• Increasing resourcing to help bring offenders to justice.

Northumbria’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Susan Dungworth said: “I recognise the financial challenges faced by many – nobody wants to pay more in taxes, but here in Northumbria we’re still paying the lowest amount of tax towards policing in the country. This speaks volumes and shows Northumbria Police is delivering value for money – people are getting real bang for their buck. You live elsewhere, you pay more for policing. In other parts of the country there are Band D households paying £170 a year more for their police service. We’re really making the best of what we have.”

She added: “The Chief Constable and I are wholly committed to delivering safer streets and stronger communities across the force area, but without the appropriate funding, we face significant financial pressures even with Government’s much welcome cash boost for neighbourhood policing announced last week. Raising additional funding through a slight increase like this will help our force tackle local priorities that matter to local people and that’s what I am determined to do.”

“We await further detail from the Home Office around last week’s funding boost, and I look forward to working with the Chief Constable to determine what this translates to operationally in terms of boots on the ground, building on the existing strong neighbourhood policing model, and investigative work behind the scenes. All in all, its good news and will help officers deter, prevent and respond to crime in our area – growing people’s confidence and overall feelings of safety. At long last we have a Government in power that’s backing up its words to cut crime with the cash needed to help do it.”

Cllr Angela Douglas, Chair of the Northumbria Police and Crime Panel, said: “It is vital that everything we do to keep our communities safe is reflective of their views.

“The vast majority of survey respondents were supportive of an increased contribution to better tackle issues like anti-social behaviour, and we are proud to provide a high standard of policing at better value than many other areas of the country.

“We look forward to delivering on the key priorities for our communities with additional funding through the precept.”

The PCC’s decision follows a consultation that ran during January and saw more than 1,600 people complete an online or telephone survey asking if they supported an increase and how much extra they were willing to pay.

70% of respondents with an opinion were supportive of an increased contribution to their police precept. While 30% of respondents did not wish to pay any increase at all.

The Police and Crime Panel is independent of the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and has a statutory responsibility to scrutinise the PCC’s proposed council tax precept.

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PRESS STATEMENT

Reaction to Government announcement of an extra £100m funding for policing nationwide

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Susan Dungworth, said:

“At long last we have a Government in power that’s backing up its words to cut crime with the cash needed to help do it. Nearly fifteen years of cuts can’t be fixed in a flash, but it’s clear our concerns have been listened to. We are being handed a long due financial boost to neighbourhood policing – one that will help deliver my plan for safer streets and stronger communities across Northumbria.

“We await further detail from the Home Office, and I look forward to working with the Chief Constable to determine what this translates to operationally in terms of boots on the ground and investigative work behind the scenes. All in all, its good news and will help officers deter, prevent and respond to crime in our area – growing people’s confidence and overall feelings of safety.

“We must remember though, this is the starting point and money is still tight, funding has been stripped back over the years and police budgets are still reliant on a third of their funding being raised through local taxes. What it does mean is that we can do more. Instead of sustaining current policing levels, we can explore ways to bolster them. Any additional resource we can get our hands on is welcome, but it doesn’t change our commitment to working hard to balance the books to ensure our police force is both efficient and effective, offering good value for money for Northumbria’s residents.”

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

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