Kim McGuinness’ Operation Payback is back, and is looking to hand over £100K to frontline causes across the North East, following a host of successful raids and arrests made by Northumbria Police.

In May, a confiscation order for £33,621 was issued following a case where an Ashington based drug dealer fled to Spain but was later extradited and jailed for 13 years. Also, in March a local drug dealer was ordered to pay back thousands he had earned selling Class A drugs on Wearside. He was also sentenced to 9 years in prison.

Excellent results fighting crime like this have helped contribute to the popular funding pot which is now in its fifth round.

Set up in 2020 by Ms McGuinness, the goal of Operation Payback is to return cash from crime back to the community. To date, the funding opportunity has handed over £1 million to good causes that are determined to improve lives across the region.

Recently, crime fighting officers from Northumbria Police have not only seized large sums of money but have intercepted a raft of illegal drugs and harmful weapons preventing them from causing harm on the streets of our region.

Now, Northumbria’s Police Commissioner is on the hunt for fresh projects and ideas that would benefit from some of this money, which in turn would benefit the whole neighbourhood. Youth clubs, sports teams, community hubs and schools are the types of organisations that the Northumbria Police Commissioner wants to help by providing much needed cash and her office is welcoming applications from Friday 30th June onwards.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, said: “I’ve been hearing countless success stories from Northumbria Police lately – really good work disrupting organised crime and seizing associated money. It’s this money that I want to get out there in our communities – to create opportunities and improve lives. That’s exactly why I set up Operation Payback.

“There really is no better use for cash seized from crime than giving the money to where it’s needed most – deprived areas, areas lacking in activities to keep kids busy, neighbourhoods where we need to clampdown on things like antisocial behaviour.
“It’s about offering kids the chance to do things they want to do, keeping them entertained or even making sure they are fed and feel supported in life.”
Inviting local groups to apply for funding she said: “Any organisation, youth group, charity or community hub with bright ideas, particularly around fighting poverty and preventing crime, needs to get in touch. They need to get their bids in so together we can make it happen.
“Operation Payback has achieved so much in the past, helping establish Friday night youth clubs, dance classes and even focused knife crime awareness sessions. We’ve had so many activities reaching so many young people and I look forward to seeing what plans people want to bring to bring to life this time around”.

Detective Chief Inspector Chris Riley of Northumbria Police, said: “Operation Payback continues to help support those charities and organisations whose work is vital, and benefits those in the communities we serve.
“Work will continue across the force, and with the support of our partners, to takedown the criminal groups seeking to profit from misery and place them before the courts. Not only that but our financial investigators will continue their vital work, detecting and seizing illicit cash, assets and ill-gotten gains and ensuring they are re-distributed into the communities who are most affected.”

The fund will be open for applications from Friday 30th June to August 11th. Decisions will be made by the end of September. The funding uses money recovered by the police from criminal activity, under the Proceeds of Crime Act (PoCA), with some recovered funds also going to Northumbria Police to help them target more criminals.
Operation Payback seeks to fund projects that:

• Repair the harm caused by ASB
• Prevent/reduce youth or adult ASB
• Provide diversionary activities throughout the year including school holidays.

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.

For further information on how to apply  – CLICK HERE.

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Mental health-related incidents in the Northumbria Police Force area have increased by 152%, leading the Police Commissioner, Kim McGuinness to call for urgent investment in mental health services.

Backed by non-profit organisation Everyturn Mental Health, the commissioner says there is an urgent need to reduce the pressure the mental health crisis is placing on struggling police resources, while at the same time ensuring those in crisis get the expert help they need.

Northumbria Police is experiencing a concerning rise in mental health incidents. Recent data from the Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner’s office reveals there has been an increase of 152% mental health related incidents since 2017, accompanied by higher 999 call volumes.

Everyturn Mental Health, which works on behalf of the NHS and local authorities, provides crisis services to offer practical and emotional support to anyone in mental health crisis. Everyturn, backed the Police Crime Commissioner’s figures, showing that its ‘Together in a Crisis’ service (TIAC) has seen an increase of 109% in referrals since 2022.

Recognising the urgency of the situation, the two organisations are working together to call for more investment in mental health crisis support – including training for police officers, and better funding for existing crisis services.  Through this collaboration, Northumbria Police and Everyturn Mental Health aim to ensure that vulnerable people receive the care and support they require.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, said: “This can’t go on. Our police work hard to ensure they are always there for those in need but people in a mental health crisis need to be looked after by healthcare specialists. That’s why we need to free up pressure on our police by investing in mental health services. We can’t carry on taking the 24/7 availability of our police for granted.

“The current system is not only letting people with mental health conditions down, but also our police officers, and the safety and wellbeing of our community. Poor funding of our essential services is the problem. The mental health service has faced cuts and our police have faced drastic cuts themselves. Northumbria Police has had £148 million cut out of its budget since 2010. We’re seeing the very desperate consequences of all this now and things need to change”.

Adam Crampsie, Chief Executive at Everyturn Mental Health, said: “Every month we see more people facing mental health crisis, due to debt or financial worries caused by the cost-of-living crisis, housing issues, relationship difficulties, or problems with drugs or alcohol, amongst other causes.”

“Funding for mental health services has not increased to match demand, which means pressure on the system is piling up, and people in crisis are suffering as a result. Many are turning to the police in moments of crisis when the support they need should be provided by specialist mental health services like Together in a Crisis. More investment needs to be made in these services to ensure the right care is given from the right person; prevent unnecessary pressure on the police and allow them to do what they do best”.

For more information and support details from Every Turn Mental Health click here.

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MORE than £1 million pounds worth of projects to drive down crime on public transport across Northumberland, Tyne and Wear have been rolled out through the Safer Transport Northumbria Project since it was launched by Police Commissioner Kim McGuinness two years ago.

Welcomed by both passengers and transport bosses, the raft of work dedicated to improving how safe people feel when travelling throughout the region has included enhanced policing operations, youth engagement patrols, days of action and development of a reporting app. It has all been designed to boost policing efforts and improve people’s experience of public transport in the area.

With the help of organisations like Edge North East and Inspire Youth, who are dedicated to working with young people to tackle youth violence and criminal exploitation, the project has engaged with 3210 young people on identified routes and stops. This work has also been amplified by patrols from the street pastors, Nexus and local councils who have engaged with nearly 7,000 more people.

Enhanced policing operations funded by the project aiming to improve police visibility and deter crime have also reported notable success. One example is Operation Princess, which since its launch has seen theft offences fall 78 per cent and public order down by 68 per cent.

Last month Kim McGuinness also announced she would be helping fund security teams on most of the Metro’s evening train services. This is to help people feel safer when making journeys after dark and is a step towards reducing ASB on board as well as at the platforms and stations. This move brings the security presence on the Metro to the highest level it has ever been.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, said: “Reliable, affordable, and crucially, safe – that’s what people tell me they want from our public transport services.  Metro bosses say this is the highest security presence they’ve had so we really are delivering on making travel safer and people are starting to tell me things are feeling better. Our Metro connects our communities and links people to opportunities, and it is so important that people feel safe and comfortable when on board.

“Sustainable transport options like the Metro and our buses need investing in to make travel safer in the North East. I have made this my mission and I’m working with others to map out more plans and solutions to keep bettering our public transport – this is just the start of the journey. I will keep fighting for funding to achieve this because it matters to local people and will help our region thrive.”

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner is currently waiting on Government go-ahead to make a further one million pounds worth of investment to tackle ASB across the North East’s transport networks. The Police Commissioner has previously spoken out on how cuts to policing, public transport and councils over the last 13 years have had consequences, with rising ASB being one of them. She is determined to turn this around and is bidding for the investment that can make it happen.

A successful grass roots diversion project that steers young people away from knife crime is heading into its 5^th year of improving lives, having already supported hundreds of young people.

Police Commissioner Kim McGuinness sets out how sport can play a crucial role in bringing down knife crime by having dedicated mentors from the YOLO project, working with young people aged 10 to 16 who have come to the attention of police for carrying a knife or weapon in recent months.

The project aims to divert young people away from violent crime, with 87% of those benefiting saying they feel more confident, more able to set and achieve goals and are now more optimistic about their future.

Both Newcastle United Foundation and the Foundation of Light are funded by the Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit to deliver a range of opportunities and support to help young people make positive life choices that divert them from crime.

Through the popular 20-week programme, young people are provided with a mentor and the chance to take part in one-to-one sessions, and engage in activities such as sport, music, art, social action projects, as well as tailored interventions to support them in making positive behaviour change and address their needs.

Giving feedback, a young person supported by the project, said: “They’ve done so much to help me. Simple things that I struggled with before, I can now focus on. The Foundation got me back on track and showed me better ways to spend my time.”

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Kim McGuinness, said: “To tackle knife crime, we need to get ahead of the problem and that means reaching young people before they ever consider picking up a knife. But for those who have already made that choice or are at risk of becoming involved in violent crime, this fantastic project helps us to recognise the challenges that some young people face and allows us to work with them to address their behaviour and deter them from crime. That’s why projects like this are so important as they show young, often vulnerable people, that there is another way – violence doesn’t have to be a part of their life.”

She added: “Sport is one of many tools used by the Violence Reduction Unit and our regions two football foundations, but this project is not just about football, far from it. The programme is all about identifying the wider issues that can lead to a young person becoming involved in crime, understanding what matters to them, addressing their needs and supporting them in making real change for a more positive and fulfilling future. That’s how we prevent violent crime.”

Head of Youth and Community Education at Foundation of Light, Lee Crosby, said: “The Foundation of Light are extremely proud to be part of the YOLO scheme, and since commencing the partnership with the Violence Reduction Unit and Newcastle United Foundation, we have seen first-hand the impact and benefit for the young people we have engaged. Our mentors work hard to forge a positive relationship with the young people and develop a bespoke pathway that diverts the young person away from crime and violence, offering opportunities that promote positive behavioural change, whilst addressing their needs”.

Jordan Wragg, Youth Violence Coordinator at Newcastle United Foundation, said: “The YOLO intervention programme provides us with the opportunity to support participants in gaining confidence and awareness around making better decisions. We now have a renewed focus on knife crime awareness, working side by side with Foundation of Light and Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit to reach out to those vulnerable people that need our intervention the most. We do this through using the power of sport, one-to-one mentoring and tailored intervention sessions for everyone referred into the programme. Thanks to the support from the VRU, we can provide safe learning environments for each of sessions and activities we provide for vulnerable people across the local authorities.”

For more information, please contact the Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit by email vru@northumbria-pcc.gov.uk.

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EMPOWERING people, particularly men, to challenge poor attitudes and change behaviours towards women, is at the heart of a new strategy to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), launched today by Kim McGuinness.

Setting out a series of priorities and actions for her office, she commits to tackling the root causes that lead to VAWG and is investing in a raft of prevention and intervention work as part of determined efforts to make the North East safer for all.

The Commissioner’s new plans also include investing £1 million into working directly with perpetrators following a successful bid to the Domestic Abuse Perpetrator’s fund. The focus of this work will be around prevention in order to protect people, including children, from experiencing domestic abuse.

More than 1400 people responded to a Safer Streets survey conducted by Kim’s team at the end of 2022 and all the views and experiences collated have helped inform the development of the strategy and the work being delivered by the Police and Crime Commissioner’s office.

As an example – many highlighted the need for better education on the importance of speaking out whenever they see or hear problematic behaviour. In response to this, the Commissioner’s office along with her Violence Reduction Unit commissioned a programme of ‘active bystander’ training which has recently been rolled out across the region.

An ‘active bystander’ is someone who recognises that a situation is potentially harmful and takes steps to intervene and make a positive difference. This approach helps shift responsibility away from victim-survivors onto the wider community.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, said: “For me, this VAWG strategy sets out our stall with everything we need to be doing to drive real, lasting change. We owe it to the young girls growing up here in the North East. As well as continuing to ensure there is valuable support for victim-survivors and that we continue to improve their journey through the criminal justice system; I want to work towards a future where we don’t have victims at all.

“Society needs a reset. Men absolutely need calling out when they make women feel uncomfortable. I want their friends to challenge their mate’s behaviour or actions, not pump them up or egg them on. If we intervene, we’re telling the perpetrator that their behaviour is not OK, but by saying nothing it’s almost an endorsement. This is the problem, and this plan is all about solutions. Work like the active bystander training is just one of many projects we want to build on to achieve that vision of a safer North East for everyone.”

Up and down the region, there are already many businesses and organisations who have signed up to schemes such as the domestic abuse champions scheme and the active bystander training such as Nissan, Hays Travel and most recently Northumbrian Water.

Northumbrian Water who have just signed up colleagues to the Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit’s domestic abuse champions scheme, which trains staff to understand and spot the signs of domestic abuse so they can help others access support and raise awareness.

Elouise Leonard-Cross, Head of People Strategy & Experience at Northumbrian Water said: “Creating a culture where it is safe to speak up and get the support you need has been key to helping build a great place to work. Within Northumbrian Water we have developed an award winning health and wellness offer, Living Well, and this includes a network of colleagues who volunteer as Mind Mates. We have almost 50 colleagues trained around the business who are on hand to provide peer support if a colleague has concerns that are impacting their life in a negative way. ​​​​​​​Joining the Domestic Abuse Champions Scheme is a positive way to extend how we are able to support our colleagues, whatever they are facing”

The Commissioner’s VAWG strategy sets out clear commitments and calls to action for the next two years including lobbying, interventions and awareness campaigns.  It identifies four areas of focus, which are: prevention, support for victim-survivors, pursuing perpetrators and creating stronger systems.

The VAWG strategy acknowledges that men and boys can also be victim-survivors of VAWG crimes, and women can perpetrate abuse against men and other women. – in the year ending March 2020 alone, there were an estimated 618,000 female victims (aged 16-74) and 155,000 male victims of sexual assault (including attempts). 98.3% of perpetrators were male.

Chief Constable of Northumbria Police Vanessa Jardine said: “Tackling violence against women and girls is rightly an absolute priority for Northumbria Police.

“Abusive behaviour against women in any form is simply not acceptable and I therefore welcome and fully support any initiatives which will help tackle this.”

To view the strategy in full click here.

For information about help and support available to victims click here.

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