Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Kim McGuinness reacts to Government ASB plans saying “this changes nothing, we still need more police on North East streets and more investment in crime prevention”

GOVERNMENT plans to deal with anti-social behaviour have been met with criticism by a Police and Crime Commissioner who says the announcement simply does not go far enough to reverse 13 years of police and council cuts.

Ministers are to hand Northumbria Police limited funds for extra patrols and making offenders repair the damage they have caused but will not be providing the long-term investment in youth services and family support needed to reverse ASB.

The Government’s latest pledges follows deep cuts to frontline policing since 2010 and Kim says the promises distract from urgent calls to put more officers on the beat.

Since 2010, Northumbria Police has taken the biggest financial hit of all the forces in England and Wales – losing more than 1,100 officers and £148m in budget cuts. Northumbria Police now has 12 per cent fewer officers than it did back in 2010.

Police and Crime Commissioner Kim McGuinness said: “13 years of government cuts have caused a rise in ASB and now we’re only getting half the solution. Government has announced limited funds for extra police patrols, but they still owe Northumbria more than 500 extra officers to reverse cuts to police numbers.

“Ministers say they want to tackle ASB but if they do not invest long term in preventing ASB with good neighbourhood services, in youth workers and councils and community hubs, the Government will simply run out of money to deal with those people committing ASB.”

She continued: “This isn’t to make an excuse for those who blight our neighbourhoods, cause damage or make victims of their neighbours.  But in the long-term we can’t arrest our way out of crime.  If we don’t devolve the ability to invest in public services and create real opportunity, we’ll constantly be sending police officers, or the council or the housing association back to the same neighbourhoods to deal with the same repeat offenders from the same households.

“Any funding we can get our hands on for the North East we will welcome but it’s too little too late. Government needs to be to bring child poverty down, to eliminate the root causes of anti-social behaviour and until it does we will be in the position where we simply need more cops on the streets.”

ENDS

PRESS RELEASE

“Give us back our cops”, demands PCC Kim McGuinness in the face of soaring 999 calls

999 calls to Northumbria’s police control rooms are rising at very high levels prompting urgent pleas from Police Commissioner Kim McGuinness for Government to “Give us back our cops”.

December 2022 saw 13% more grade 1 calls made across Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, compared to 2021, and 52% more compared to the pre-pandemic December in 2019. Figures also show that 999 calls last year rose by 9% in contrast to the previous year.

Kim McGuinness has said she’s determined to ensure officers can respond to vital calls and that the public receive the service they deserve, but has criticised Government recruitment targets saying they don’t even come close to what they were pre-austerity, and that our police and North East communities are being let down.

Since 2010, Northumbria Police has taken the biggest financial hit of all the forces in England and Wales – losing more than 1,100 officers and £148m in budget cuts – a result of what the PCC calls ‘grossly unfair and regionally biased’ budget cuts.

The Government-funded recruitment campaign was set up to replace officer numbers nationally, but Northumbria Police was only allocated the funds for a maximum of 615 additional recruits. This is 485 short meaning that locally uplift targets set by Government have barely replaced half of those lost.

This has led the Police Commissioner and Northumbria Police decided to set their own targets and get more neighbourhood officers out serving local communities. This has resulted in Northumbria Police’s officer headcount growing from 3,129 to 3,744 but the Police Commissioner says that’s still not enough.

Criticising Government for failing to put police officers back on our North East streets Kim McGuinness said: “Police demand is at an all-time high and yet Government funding continues to fail the people of the North East.

“As soon as a 999 call comes in we need to be getting officers out there responding to the needs of the public. And we need a well-resourced force to deliver this. It really is vital that our officer recruitment matches this growing demand. Quite frankly the targets set by Government show how out of touch they are with our needs.  What they have set out to achieve is not uplift, it’s not how we fight crime and it’s not how we look after the North East”.

“This is why the Chief and I prioritised recruitment and set out our own recruitment drives designed to smash Government targets. It’s far from easy balancing the books though but we fully recognise there’s nothing more important than keeping the people of our region safe. It’s about time Government did too and it’s about time they gave us back our cops.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Grade 1 incident demand remains high. For the period January to December 2022, there has been 13% more grade 1 incidents compared to the same period in 2021 and 37% more compared to the same period in 2020. It is acknowledged that during the COVID-19 pandemic incident demand volumes changed; however, when comparing to the same period in 2019 there is a 52% increase.

And

For the 12 months to December 2022, the number of 999 calls increased by 9% compared to the previous 12 months, from 269,769 to 300,941.

PRESS RELEASE

COMMUNITY centres, sports clubs, youth groups and park projects are among the latest grass root causes set to benefit from a fund that uses cash stripped from criminals across the North East returning it to the heart of the community.

£225K worth of money that crime fighting police officers have seized from drug dealers, human traffickers and thieves is being channelled into a range of community projects thanks to the latest round of Police Commissioner Kim McGuinness’ Operation Payback fund.

Before Christmas, the Commissioner revealed where some of the latest money obtained through the Proceeds of Crime Act had come from. It included cash and assets with a total value of £57,685 that were seized by officers in Sunderland when a man was arrested for drug possession with intent to supply, as well as kidnap. The offender is now serving time in a prison in Belgium.

This money is now being used to fund work Such as Pallion Action Group’s ‘Care To Achieve Project’ that offers support and opportunity to young people caught up in ASB and the criminal justice system.

Operation Payback is part of Kim McGuinness’ plan to get money back into the right hands – the hands of those who are improving lives and preventing crime in their local neighbourhoods.

The latest round of funding sought to help bring game changing ideas to life and give local kids opportunities that would keep them out of trouble both during school holidays and throughout the year.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, said: “We’ve seen lots of successful police activity of late involving raids and arrests where lots of money has been taken out of the wrong hands. Today I am announcing where that money is going to go and how we can use it to improve lives by fighting poverty and fighting crime.

“There’s no better use for cash seized from crime than channelling it right back into our communities – particularly areas that need it most or where we are wanting to clampdown on things like anti-social behaviour. It’s about presenting kids with the chance to do things they want to do, keeping them entertained or even making sure they are fed and feel supported in life.

“From Friday night youth clubs and dance classes to knife crime awareness sessions – I am really pleased with the range of activities that are going to be on offer through this round of funding. And thanks go to the hardworking officers who are disrupting organised crime and seizing the money connected to it so we can invest it back into the organisations who are making a difference right in the heart of the local community.”

Detective Chief Inspector Chris Riley, of Northumbria Police, said: “Taking the money out of the hands of criminals and investing it back into the communities these crimes have impacted – that’s a wonderful feeling.

“This round of funding will be used to fund schemes such as ‘Fit to Fed’, a project that sees free boxing lessons followed by a free meal provided to children in Gateshead. It’s amazing to see something so positive and inspiring come out of this.
“Work will continue on all sides to disrupt and dismantle organised crime and those profiting of their criminal actions, with the money seized being invested back into the amazing communities we serve.”

Operation Payback is part of a much wider of action happening across the Northumbria Police force area as part of plans to tackle issues like ASB and knife crime.

The aim of the fund is to support the work of Northumbria Police and help prevent crime and anti-social behaviour, which will in turn improve lives for local people.

Funded examples by area:

SUNDERLAND:

Pallion Action Group            Funding will be used for the delivery of the ‘Care To Achieve Project’ to raise the aspirations/skills/knowledge/experience for young people caught up in ASB and/or the criminal justice system.

GATESHEAD:

Leam Lane Amateur Boxing Club   Funding will be to run further “Fit to Fed” sessions during the school summer holidays, with the aim to provide free sessions to the youths of the area followed by a hot meal.

NORTHUMBERLAND:

Hexham Youth Initiative       Funding will be used towards the work of qualified and experienced detached youth workers on the Sele in Hexham.  This is a large area of open space in the centre of town which includes play areas, recreation spaces, a bandstand, bowling green and a skate park.

NEWCASTLE:

Fenham Association of Residents  This grant will be used to create a project around safety for young people. They will focus on knife crime by creating a project aimed at talking to young people about community safety and creating a short film, to raise awareness.

NORTH TYNESIDE:

Power Through Sport CIC   Funding will go towards targeting diversionary activities at the Friday Night Youth Club, which was initially funded by North Tyneside’s Community Safety Team as part of their Project VITA campaign.

SOUTH TYNESIDE:

Sea Change South Shields CIC      Funding is to host educational workshops to reduce ASB as part of weekly neurodiverse social club, this will prevent antisocial behaviour and also educate members if they ever find themselves in a difficult situation.

A full list of beneficiaries can be found here Operation Payback Round 4 – Full list of confirmed groups

PHOTO: Kim McGuinness and officers from Northumbria Police and Bensham Court Tenants and Residents Association. Funding is to be used towards the costs of running the food bank which assists up to 70 people daily.

YOUTH work is putting a stop to anti-social behaviour in and around the bus terminus in Witherwack, where only one report of antisocial behaviour has been made since the start of the new year.

Northumbria’s Police and Crime Commissioner Kim McGuinness has thanked everyone involved in tackling antisocial behaviour in the area, where ASB reports were previously nearly a daily occurrence.

As the region’s police and crime commissioner, Kim has invested millions of pounds in a range of solutions to help people feel safer when using public transport.  These have included targeted youth work across transport networks and the launch of a Safer Transport Northumbria app, to help make reporting concerns easier.

Towards the end of last year, both bus station workers and local residents in Witherwack raised concerns about young people gathering around the bus terminus and causing damage, making them feel uncomfortable going about their day-to-day lives. Issues reported included vandalism, broken windows and turning off bus engines.

The concerns raised followed an extensive public transport survey, ran by the Commissioner’s office, which found that people want public transport that is not only reliable and affordable, but safe too.

Recognising the area in Witherwack as an ASB hotspot, Stagecoach and PCC McGuinness’ office drew up determined plans to address the issues raised, with the support of Northumbria Police and Sunderland Council.

The plan involved appointing Together for Children to roll out focused youth intervention work in and around the bus station. The project, which was funded through Kim’s Safer Transport Northumbria project has seen daily reports of ASB disappear, with only one incident reported since the end of December.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, said:

“This success shows how we can tackle ASB together by finding the solutions that work for the community. Tackling ASB is not just a job for the police, we have to accept that. Over the last decade youth services have been ripped out of so many communities due to cuts, particularly here in the North East, the link between this and ASB is a clear one.

“Young people will say they have nowhere to go and often give little thought to the trouble they are causing. Having youth workers on hand at our bus stations to listen, chat and guide young people is clearly having a positive impact on them and is improving lives for everyone.”

Kim added: “Our buses are so important for local people to access education, work or leisure opportunities, and in a sustainable way. People also need to feel safe when travelling in the region and work like this helps people feel they can use public transport comfortably and reduces the need for people to contact police, it’s a win for all.”

Stagecoach North East Operations Manager, Martin Musther, said: 

“We would like to thank Northumbria Police and Together for Children for their direct approach to tacking anti-social behaviour in Sunderland, which has driven a real improvement in recent months and demonstrates our collaborative approach, and total commitment, to improving the public transport offer within each of the north east communities we serve.”

Together for Children delivers Children’s Services on behalf of Sunderland City Council. This includes working with young people and families to prevent youth offending and involvement in the criminal justice system.

Councillor Louise Farthing, Cabinet Member for Children, Learning and Skills at Sunderland City Council, said:

“We are delighted to have been able to play our part in the reduction of anti-social behaviour in Witherwack. Staff from Together for Children have spent time talking to young people and the local community to understand the issues. This has included working with young people so that they understand the impact of their behaviour, as well as work to support and signpost young people into Early Help services in order to prevent anti-social behaviour.

“Following the success of this targeted work in Witherwack, the Safer Transport Scheme is looking to work with partners, including the City Council, to identify any further areas across Sunderland where youth ASB linked to transport hubs is negatively affecting people using public transport.”

ENDS

PHOTO: Kim McGuinness speaking to local people as part of a previous public transport survey

Tuesday 7 February 2023

PRESS RELEASE

PCC KIM MCGUINNESS’ PRECEPT PLAN WILL PUT MORE OFFICERS IN THE HEART OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES

NORTHUMBRIA Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, has today had financial plans agreed that will help give a major boost to neighbourhood policing teams.

As the area’s PCC, Kim McGuinness is required to set the policing precept, or the amount residents pay for policing in their council tax, for the next financial year.

As Northumbria Police faces rising inflation and cost pressures, the Commissioner has put forward precept plans that mean local people will pay on average 83p pence a month extra.

Backed today by members at the Northumbria Police and Crime Panel she said her priority would be ensuring funds go towards deploying 134 more officers into frontline policing, to help maintain a visible police presence in local communities.

The precept plans follow a three-week public consultation which included telephone surveys, postal letters and media promotion.

70% of telephone respondents and 62% of local residents who completed the survey online, agreed that they would support an increase to offset the rising costs facing the force and prevent deeper cuts to police budgets.

The average £15.00 per year for a Band D property precept increase will provide over £6m in extra funds for 2023/24 which will help deliver a shake-up to neighbourhood policing that will make officers more visible across communities. The plans were agreed by members of the panel who felt the rise was necessary. Inflation and other cost increases mean the force needs to find more than £11.7m in savings.  This figure would rise to £15.8m if the public chose not to back a rise in the precept.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, said: “People here in the North East repeatedly tell me they want more police officers out on the streets, in the heart of our local communities, and I’m with them on that. To deliver this, we need more money from somewhere. Uplift barely covers the hundreds of officers we’ve lost over the years and the ongoing financial pressures faced by the force are huge.

Asked how this extra money would be spent, the Commissioner, explained, “We’re drawing up big plans to re-deploy officers into neighbourhood policing – it’s what people want. Let’s be clear though, substantial changes will have to be made elsewhere in the force.

“I must stress having faced years of significant Government cuts, the additional funds raised through local taxpayers won’t fix everything, far from it.  The force will still have nowhere near what it needs; and will need to use reserves and other financial efficiencies to balance the books.

“Raising the precept really isn’t an easy decision but as Police Commissioner I feel I have been forced into a corner on this. If Government won’t foot the bill, I’m left with turning to local people – the people who care about our region being safe and free from crime. The people who year-on-year are contributing to help fight and prevent crime in the region because Government is ignoring our local policing needs up here.

“I’m thankful to the residents supporting the increase, who have acknowledged the economic pressures facing the police and other public services. I also more than understand those who weren’t in favour – whose family budgets are facing their own struggles and who don’t believe money to rescue a public service should be coming from their purse. That’s a sentiment I agree with too and it really is a very tough call and one I wish I had more choice with.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

At the Police and Crime Panel which took place in Gateshead on Tuesday 7 February, members agreed to a precept increase of £15.00 per year for a Band D property to better fund local policing. Band A households make up the largest share of properties in the Northumbria force area, and for them the increase is 83p a month (£10.00 per year).

The proposed increase would raise an additional £6.120m income, which will:

• Deliver a restructure of neighbourhood policing, allocating 134 new officers into specialist frontline roles to take on the fight against crime, and;
• Help protect the force from the impact of significant budget pressures and spiralling inflation.

Contact for further information:

Heidi Boden – Heidi.boden@northumbria-pcc.gov.uk 07925148941

Adrian Pearson – Adrian.pearson@northumbria-pcc.gov.uk

Short films take a stand on violence towards women and girls

Violence against women and girls takes centre stage in a hard-hitting short film created by University students and shared across the UK.

This is the 10^th anniversary of a film collaboration between Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner and the University of Sunderland, raising awareness about issues impacting on society, through films created by final-year Screen Performance, Performing Arts and Film Production students.

The project is funded by Police Commissioner, Kim McGuinness’s office, and in collaboration with specialists from her Violence Reduction Unit.The students’ assignment subject this year is timely with a number of high-profile cases of toxic masculinity and misogyny – from serious sexual abuse to the role of online influencers – hitting the headlines and debated by commentators and government policymakers alike.

With 75% of women and girls as young as 12 experiencing some form of public sexual harassment and an estimated 1.6 million women in England and Wales experiencing domestic abuse, Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Kim McGuinness, wanted to draw attention to the issues, setting this year’s brief for the annual project.

For their assignment, the students were asked to focus on the behaviour and reactions of bystanders, in particular men, when they witness harmful or inappropriate behaviour committed against women and girls. Crimes of violence against women include rape and other sexual offences, stalking, domestic abuse, ‘honour-based’ abuse (including female genital mutilation and forced marriage and ‘honour’ killings), ‘revenge porn’ and ‘upskirting’, as well as many others.

Kim McGuinness said: “Not only as your Police and Crime Commissioner, but as a woman, I am passionate about fighting for a North East where our girls and women are safe and free from abuse, violence and inequality.

“With the numbers of violence against women and girls-related reports to police increasing each year, films that help raise awareness of the issues that are faced by women in Northumbria and beyond, are hugely welcomed by me. It’s on all of us to demand change in society and I’m thankful to the students for using their skills and creativity to help drive this change.”

The students produced the films with the help of the VRU and a specialist active bystander practitioner whose expertise is around engaging men and boys in conversations about violence against women and girls. They have researched, scripted, devised, filmed and edited all six films themselves which will contribute to their final-year marks. All productions are turned into an awareness film, to be used as an educational or training tool to promote awareness of the issues locally and regionally.

Other projects in previous years have addressed issues such as male rape, modern-day slavery, the capacity to consent, sexual exploitation, domestic violence, and cyber-crime.

An awards evening has also been organised on Thursday February 2, to announce the winning film, Choosing Silence and attended by the University’s Vice Chancellor, Sir David Bell, and the awards presented by Kim McGuiness.

Dr Adelle Hulsmeier, Senior Lecturer in Performing Arts and Programme Leader for Screen Performance, who helps to organise the awards each year, said: “It has, as always, been an incredibly interesting journey tackling more hard-hitting issues faced everyday by police.

“The issue of male violence against women and young girls demonstrated the types of conversation we need to be having and the responsibilities we need to be facing.

“At the start of the process, Northumbria’s Violence Reduction Unit delivered an eye-opening workshop that asked its recipients to face the realities around how this issue may start and grow. An important analogy was offered about how the roots of an issue can grow from something seemingly innocent, for example ‘banter’ between friends, into sexual harassment disguised as banter, to potentially branching out to something even more toxic, dangerous and potentially life-threatening.

“The point of the brief has been to place some responsibility on the bystander, to recognise the warning signs and to make an intervention, which doesn’t have to be direct, to stop the issue from growing. Cutting it off at the roots and really reflecting on at what point we intervene and at what point we can make a difference has been the continuous focus. The students have tacked this with gusto, determination and maturity, and we have six very strong contenders for this year’s awards.”

Nicholas Glean, Senior Lecturer in Video and New Media, responsible for producing the films with the students, says: “I am incredibly proud of our students for producing a good range of films on these essential issues. I must commend the students on their professionalism, dedication, and organisation. They should all be very proud of what they have achieved.”

The produced films can be viewed here.

Kim McGuinness, Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner speaks during the Short Film Awards event at the University of Sunderland Picture: DAVID WOOD