NORTHUMBRIA’s Police Commissioner Kim McGuinness has warned there will be real anger tomorrow if the Chancellor fails to commit sufficient funds into policing and expects the bill to be passed on to hard hit households through their taxes.

Speaking out, ahead of this Thursday’s budget where New Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will set out his plans for the country’s finances, Kim McGuinness has made it clear the police service needs significant investment but now is not the time to be pushing policing cost increases onto cash-strapped bill payers.

Earlier this week, the Commissioner, supported by PCCs and mayors up and down the country, sent a joint letter to Home Secretary Suella Braverman, outlining the urgent need for the nation’s police forces to be fully funded.

The letter calls on the Government to step in with additional funding to prevent under-pressure households having to carry the financial burden through their taxes during what is becoming a devastating cost of living crisis for many, particularly in the North East where poverty levels are among the worst in the country.

Police forces, notably Northumbria which has suffered some of the worst budget cuts over the last decade, is facing extreme pressure due to no budget flexibility and increased demand. The rises in utility and fuel costs, which are uncapped for police forces and are also compounding problems.

At the same time, households are facing unprecedented cost pressures and too many will struggle to cope as they are already on low or fixed incomes. This makes it inappropriate to continue increasing the burden on the council taxpayer, through the police ‘precept’ prompting PCCs and Mayors across the UK to come together and write a joint letter calling for urgent action.

As well as more funding, the letter also urges Government to bring in a Police Precept Freeze Grant for 2023/24 – a way of easing the unfair burden on tax payers. This is something the Commissioner hopes the Chancellor commit to tomorrow.

Pressure is mounting on the Government to recognise the impact cuts are having on our police’s efforts to fight crime. Suella Braverman’s letter to all police chiefs in England and Wales in September, which told them of the government’s expectation that they cut homicide and other serious crime, and neighbourhood crime by 20 per cent caused widespread anger across hardworking policing communities who strive to cut all crime and are desperate for more resources to help them get on with the job.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, said: “Our police have y been on the receiving end of this Government’s ‘difficult decisions’ for the last ten years. Meanwhile people across the North East are experiencing the worst poverty levels in decades, families are facing a winter where they can’t afford to heat their home, yet as Commissioner’s we are being expected to turn to these people to help fund the police service that they need to fight crime in their neighbourhoods and keep their loved ones safe- and this just isn’t fair.

The Commissioner went on to explain: “The prospect of going into next year with worsening police finances at a time of rising demand – it’s alarming. Everyone I speak to officers, teachers, business owners, mams, dads – everyone is worried there will be more victims of crime and more kids getting pulled into crime. Everyone wants to see our police force properly funded so they can police our streets and answer calls for help efficiently and effectively. I’m appealing directly to our Government to look beyond balancing the books, to listen to the boots on the ground and help the families they’re serving. Pay rises need to be real-term, police funding needs to be long-term. We all know we have some tough years ahead and we need a tough police force to meet the needs of our communities – Government has a choice with this. People have made enough sacrifices as it is. This is make or break time for police funding.”

The PCCs await a response from the Home Secretary. The letter can be viewed in full here.

The PCCs who have signed the letter are:

• Kim McGuinness – Police and Crime Commissioner for Northumbria
• Alison Lowe – Deputy Mayor of West Yorkshire for Policing and Crime
• Sophie Linden – Deputy Mayor of London for Policing and Crime
• Bev Hughes – Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester for Policing and Crime
• Jeff Cuthbert – Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent
• Alan Billings – Police and Crime Commissioner for South Yorkshire
• Alun Michael – Police and Crime Commissioner for South Wales
• Emily Spurrell – Police and Crime Commissioner for Merseyside
• Joy Allen – Police and Crime Commissioner for Durham
• Simon Foster – Police and Crime Commissioner for West Midlands
• Andy Dunbobbin – Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales

NOW is not the time to be pushing policing cost increases onto cash-strapped bill payers, warns a strongly worded joint letter sent to Home Secretary Suella Braverman, from Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner and supporting PCCs.

With growing calls for the nation’s police forces to be fully funded as the cost-of-living crisis bites, the letter calls on the Government to step in with additional funding to prevent under-pressure households having to carry the financial burden through their taxes.

Police forces, notably Northumbria which has suffered some of the worst budget cuts in the country over the last decade, is facing extreme pressure due to no budget flexibility and increased demand. The rises in utility and fuel costs, which are uncapped for police forces and are also compounding problems.

At the same time, households are facing unprecedented cost pressures and too many will struggle to cope as they are already on low or fixed incomes. This makes it inappropriate to continue increasing the burden on the council taxpayer, through the police ‘precept’ prompting PCCs and Mayors across the UK to come together and write a joint letter calling for urgent action.

As well as more funding, the letter also urges Government to bring in a Police Precept Freeze Grant for 2023/24 – a way of easing the unfair burden on tax payers.

The calls come following Suella Braverman’s letter to all police chiefs in England and Wales in September, which told them of the government’s expectation that they cut homicide and other serious crime, and neighbourhood crime by 20 per cent. The request caused widespread anger across hardworking policing communities who strive to cut all crime and are desperate for more resources to help them get on with the job.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, said: “People across the North East are experiencing the worst poverty levels in decades, families are facing a winter where they can’t afford to heat their home, yet as Commissioner’s we are being expected to turn to these people to help fund the police service that they need to fight crime in their neighbourhoods and keep their loved ones safe- and this just isn’t fair.

The Commissioner went on to explain: “The prospect of going into next year with worsening police finances at a time of rising demand – it’s alarming. Everyone I speak to officers, teachers, business owners, mams, dads – everyone is worried there will be more victims of crime and more kids getting pulled into crime. Everyone wants to see our police force properly funded so they can police our streets and answer calls for help efficiently and effectively. I’m appealing directly to the Home Secretary to look beyond balancing the books, to listen to the boots on the ground and help the families they’re serving. We all know we have some tough years ahead and we need a tough police force to meet the needs of our communities – Government has a choice with this.”

The letter can be viewed in full here:  letter

The PCCs await a response from the Home Secretary.

The PCCs who have signed the letter are:

• Kim McGuinness – Police and Crime Commissioner for Northumbria
• Alison Lowe – Deputy Mayor of West Yorkshire for Policing and Crime
• Sophie Linden – Deputy Mayor of London for Policing and Crime
• Bev Hughes – Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester for Policing and Crime
• Jeff Cuthbert – Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent
• Alan Billings – Police and Crime Commissioner for South Yorkshire
• Alun Michael – Police and Crime Commissioner for South Wales
• Emily Spurrell – Police and Crime Commissioner for Merseyside
• Joy Allen – Police and Crime Commissioner for Durham
• Simon Foster – Police and Crime Commissioner for West Midlands
• Andy Dunbobbin – Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales

ENDS

Contact for further information:

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

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

GIVE US BACK OUR COPS: A NORTH SOUTH DIVIDE IN POLICE RECRUITMENT?

NORTHUMBRIA Commissioner Kim McGuinness has challenged the Home Secretary over recruitment figures which show some Southern forces pushing past 2010 police officer levels, while others are being held back by limited Government funds.

During the first decade of Government austerity, Northumbria Police lost more than 1,100 officers as a result of Home Office cuts. A new Government-funded recruitment campaign was set up to replace these nationally, but Northumbria police was only allocated the funds for a maximum of 615 additional recruits.

While Northumbria Police has 12 per cent fewer officers than it did in 2010, it emerged this week that some forces, noticeably those in the south of England, are now boasting of having higher overall numbers than they had at the start of 2010.

It was reported last week that there are now more Essex Police officers than at any other time in the force’s 182-year history. Elsewhere in the south, Cambridgeshire Police also celebrated having more officers than ever before.

Overall figures reveal the North East, has been the hardest hit region, with 15% fewer officers than 2010, which compares to a national difference of 7%.

Combined, North East and North West forces have 9.8% fewer officers than 2010, whilst the South East & South West forces have only 0.8% fewer – a staggering difference and alarming evidence of regional discrepancy, according to Kim McGuinness.

She called on the Home Secretary to explain this emerging North-South divide in police funding during a high-level policing conference attended by chief constables from across the country.

In a direct question to Suella Braverman at the policing conference in London, Kim asked for “a level playing field” so all forces had the chance to see a full replacement of lost officers.

Kim added: “The Government owes the people of Northumberland, Tyne and Wear another 485 officers and ministers are refusing to hand over the funds.

“And as if that wasn’t bad enough, we now see that some forces are able to boast of having smashed historic officer numbers. Just look at the likes of Essex and Cambridgeshire – more officers now than at any other time in their forces’ history.

“Now, some of this will come from a variety of means, but if a southern force can find the money to fund more police officers – presumably from local council tax payers – then they clearly don’t need extra Government funds.

“The Home Office must implement a fair system based on need, so all police forces can finally return to their pre-austerity recruitment numbers.

“My message to the Home Secretary is clear; give us back our cops”

Speaking in response to Kim’s question at the QE II conference centre in London, the Home Secretary said that “if there is disparity this would need to be looked at”.

ENDS

Sources:

Government figures:

• https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-workforce-open-data-tables

Essex:

• https://www.essex.police.uk/news/essex/news/news/2022/november/new-officers-take-oaths-as-essex-police-reaches-record-strength/
• https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6995406423274782720/

Cambridgeshire:

• https://www.elystandard.co.uk/news/crime/22739832.police-officers-cambridgeshire-ever-figures-show/

TOUGH new guidelines for sentencing business operators convicted of selling blades to children have been backed by Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness.

Two local families left devastated by knife crime have supported Kim’s views as part of their ongoing campaigning to end violence. Her comments have been made as part of a national consultation on the sale of knives to persons under 18.

Young mum Samantha Madgin was stabbed to death in Wallsend in 2007, and teenager Connor Brown’s life was tragically cut short on a night out in Sunderland City Centre in 2019.

Both families set up their own charities Samantha’s Legacy and The Connor Brown Trust to help raise awareness of the dangers of carrying knives and to offer support to other victims of such crimes.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, said: “The very idea that some young people, up and down the country, are choosing to arm themselves with knives is a concern to us all. It’s only right that we focus efforts on who is selling them and how this is being punished. How are blades ending up in the hands of children?

“Retailers must recognise their responsibility to help keep communities safe and the role they can play in taking knives and other weapons off our streets. The less knives out there in pockets, the more lives we save.

“Every police officer will tell you that knife crime is not a problem we can arrest our way out of. Education plays such a crucial part in the fight against serious violence and the sale of these knives needs to also be a national priority.

“Clear guidance and tough punishments are much needed, particularly for larger retailers as evidence shows that it is these larger organisations who have been responsible for most sales. And so, I’ve welcomed the opportunity to respond to this consultation on behalf of the North East. We’re one of the safest regions. And, thankfully, we have lower levels of knife crime than many comparative areas. But we have had our share of horrific cases – tragic reminders that knife crime is real and that we must do everything we can to fight this crime.”

Carly Barrett, Samantha’s sister from Samantha’s Legacy, said: “Retail stores should never sell knives or any bladed articles that could cause harm when the buyer is under-age. We think this campaign is vital to today’s society as we see more and more victims of serious violent Crime. However, some retails stores, supermarkets etc should be provided with some basic training so they are able to identity those they believe are buying these knives to cause harm.”

Samantha’s mum Alison, Madgin, added: “It is not just about the age of those buying the knives but also identifying the people that could cause harm to others. We hope to see an increase in this law and see more support around this. Together we can all make a difference and help support this knife crime pandemic and ultimately save lives.”

Connor Brown’s mum Tanya Brown who set up the Connor Brown Trust, said: “The team behind the Connor Brown Trust are guided by the strength of the community and it is the community we want to protect from knife crime. We need everyone to be aware of the dangers of young people carrying knives, so we need to address the sale of knives to these young people.  message to all retailers is to think carefully as to whether you need to stock knives in general and who will be purchasing these knives, as well as what measures are in place to ensure knives are sold responsibly. Our youth today is our future tomorrow and we need to protect them.”

Northumbria Police carries out a large range of operations to tackle knife crime and the Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit is at heart of knife crime awareness raising work throughout the region.

More information on the Sentencing Council’s national consultation can be found here.

ENDS

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Kim McGuinness has announced £220,000 worth of interventions will be rolled out by her Violence Reduction Unit as part of plans to fight and prevent crime this winter.

As part of determined efforts to prevent serious violence in the North-East, the Violence Reduction Unit has drawn up a programme of work which includes targeted interventions and activities to tackle the root causes of crime.

Plans will focus on working with those causing the most disruption in communities and will aim to divert them away from crime with positive opportunities.

The Violence Reduction Unit successfully ramped up activity over the summer in a bid to stop spikes in violence and keep people safe. This involved more patrols and more youth workers engaging with young people over the Jubilee weekend and at iconic events such as the famous Newcastle Hoppings.

Although serious violence has been on the rise this year, levels dropped by 12.2% in August thanks to targeted interventions, more youth workers and diversionary activities for young people, reinforcing the Violence Reduction Unit’s approach of working closely with partners such as Police, local councils and youth organisations, to prevent crime from happening.

The impact of this work has led to identifying perpetrators as well as young people at risk of becoming involved in crime and preventing anti-social behaviour to help communities feel safer.

Chairing the Violence Reduction Unit’s quarterly strategic board meeting this month, PCC Kim McGuinness welcomed the plans outlined to mitigate a rise in serious violence over the winter months. At the board, the following preventative measures were agreed:

• Targeted programmes in place to identify and work with individuals causing the most significant harm in Newcastle and Gateshead.
• A team to be operational in Newcastle, engaging with young people, as well as having a specific focus on key events throughout the winter months.
• Gateshead will continue to have police patrols in identified areas as well as targeted activities to engage young people around key dates. A community safety team will also focus on adult-related ASB and alcohol-related domestic abuse.
• In North Tyneside, young people will be engaged in activities that divert them from crime as well as signposting support. Plain-clothes police operations will also take place to address peer group violence and the carrying of knives.
• Patrols, outreach work and activities to be delivered in hotspot areas by a dedicated team in South Tyneside.
• A team will be deployed in identified areas of Northumberland, to engage with young people, as well as in developing projects to improve environments.
• Sunderland will expand on the work delivered in the summer, with further activity to take place as part of its city-wide operational plans for the darker nights.

All staff involved in delivering this crucial work are required to undertake the Violence Reduction Unit’s knife crime awareness training, aimed at giving professionals a better understanding of the factors that can increase a person’s vulnerability to becoming both a perpetrator and a victim of knife crime.

The session covers why young people might carry a knife, the consequences of doing so and the law as well as signposting additional information and support.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, said: “There has been lots of targeted work taking place over the summer with positive results but we can’t stop there. There is always so much more that could be done, more kids to engage with, more lives to change.

“With the darker nights arriving, lots of events set to take place and more people planning nights out, it makes it all the more important for the Violence Reduction Unit to work with those causing the most disruption in our communities and deter them from crime at the earliest opportunity. Our approach aims to educate young people with a focus on early intervention; however, we will not tolerate violence in our communities and for those who do not engage in our interventions, there are likely to be consequences.”

She added: “No-one should ever become a victim of crime but sadly we know that it does happen. So, whether you live or work in this fantastic region or are simply visiting to experience all it has to offer over the winter period, I want you to feel safe when doing so. The more we can invest in prevention, the stronger our position will be in the fight against crime.”

For more information about the Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit, visit the website.

ENDS

Children often see and get drawn into domestic abuse.  Even when they don’t witness it, children know when domestic abuse is happening at home, and it can deeply affect them and go on to cause problems through-out their lives. This is why Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Kim McGuinness wants to make sure there are no gaps in the support provisions for children as part of her commitment to ensuring they are not the forgotten victims in domestic abuse.

The Commissioner’s office has just secured £982,335 in funding for the region, which will boost a programme of specialist services which hope to reach around 1500 children and non-offending parents with therapies and interventions. The project is made up of play therapy, counselling, and group support.

Local services that have been commissioned to deliver the project, working alongside the Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit, are: The Acorns Project, The Angelou Centre, Action for Children, Community Counselling Cooperative, Impact Family Services and Wearside Women in Need.

One in seven (14.2%) children and young people under the age of 18 will have lived with domestic abuse at some point in their childhood. This might be hearing abuse from upstairs, seeing a parent injured or in distress, getting caught up in violence trying to protect a loved one, or even being harmed directly.

In some cases, experiencing domestic abuse can be an indirect form of child abuse. In fact, data released by the NSPCC earlier this year found child cruelty and neglect cases in the Northeast had increased by a fifth over the last two years, based on figures from Northumbria Police.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, said: “We must put ourselves in the child’s shoes and give them a safe space and a way of allowing them to explore what troubles them on their own terms, such as through play.

“Support available often focuses on the adult – the victim and survivor – and of course that’s right but we need to have services for children in equal measure. Here in the North-East we are lucky to have established providers who very much have kids on their radar. Although they recognise the great need, they don’t always have the resources to do the work they know is desperately needed. This is why I want to make sure their work is properly funded to ensure that it’s at the forefront of their delivery and can be accessed by children no matter where they live in our region.”

She continued: “We know exposure to domestic abuse can lead to a range of difficulties like stress, anger and trauma, which in turn can lead to problematic behaviours and problems in later life. Work like play therapy can help children manage their feelings and overcome their difficulties. This not only benefits the child, their family, and the wider community but can lead to healthier and happier adult lives.

Children exposed to abuse and violence can experience significant trauma, leading to behaviours – such as substance misuse, drinking too much, and self-harm as well as attempts to be perfect, to over perform at school or to please everyone – all of which can harm the individual and sometimes others around them. We can’t allow that to happen – it’s not fair on these children – and I see this work as a long-term approach to preventing long-term harm and addressing this important public health issue.”

Abby Traynor, Chief Executive at Acorns Project who cover Northumberland and North Tyneside, said: “We hugely welcome this investment in our services for families, now that children and young people have been recognised by the government as victims of domestic abuse in their own right, a message that we have been advocating for many years.   We are excited to continue to work with Kim and our partners in Northumbria to ensure that families get excellent bespoke, timely and appropriate support to aid them in their recovery”

Simon Campbell from Community Counselling Cooperative who work across Tyne and Wear said: “The capacity for children to change psychologically is as great if not greater than adults. This project gives real hope of breaking cycles of domestic abuse and intergenerational trauma. The benefits of which can reverberate all the way down to these children’s future grandchildren.”

Becky Rogerson, Director at Wearside Women in Need in Sunderland, said: “This funding will transform our approach in Sunderland. We want to reach as many children and young people as possible to make sense of their experiences and realise their full potential.”

Lisa Arnell, from South Shields based Impact Family Services, said: “A huge thanks to Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner for her continued championing of best practice in relation to children and young people who have experienced domestic violence in the region; we are proud to be part of such an exciting partnership which endeavours to put children and young people at the heart of what they do –  the children in South Tyneside will benefit greatly.”

The funding was secured following a successful bid by Kim McGuinness’s office to the Home Office’s Children Affected by Domestic Abuse (CADA) Fund.

ENDS

PHOTO: Kim McGuinness on a past visit to Acorns Project in North Shields

Notes to editors:

Funding will ensure the following core services were available in all 6 local authority areas:

• Play therapy – which builds on normal communicative and learning processes to help younger children explore what is troubling them without relying on verbal language skills.
• Counselling – which, in the context of domestic abuse can be undertaken effectively with individual children and young people or with the child and non-offending parent.

• Therapeutic groupwork –undertaken with children and young people alone and/or alongside the non-offending parent and offering benefits linked to the group process, as well as content.
• Support for the non–offending parent – so they can actively support their child to engage with the help on offer.