Vanessa Jardine is set to lead Northumbria Police’s fight against crime in Spring 2023. She is currently Deputy Chief Constable at West Midlands Police and will take up her new post following confirmation by a special Police and Crime Panel on December 13^th.

Northumbria’s Police and Crime Commissioner picked Vanessa as the officer to replace Winton Keenen after hearing how the highly experienced police officer intends to deliver on plans to fight and prevent crime across Northumberland, Tyne and Wear.

Kim said: “When I speak to the public they tell me they want to see a force that can fight crime and prevent crime, and I am confident that Vanessa is the ideal person to continue Northumbria Police’s great work towards that aim.

“Our region is a safe one but crime is constantly evolving and we need to be ready for the challenges that brings.

“That’s why I’m delighted to have an officer with Vanessa’s vast experience joining our force.

“Our region faces great challenges in the years ahead, with economic hardship, austerity and the ongoing cost of living crisis set to push more families into difficulties and more young people put at risk of gangs and criminality.

“I know Vanessa is geared up for this challenge and I look forward to working with her on securing a great future for our region.”

Vanessa has been a police officer for over 28 years. Before joining West Midlands Police she worked at Greater Manchester Police where she served as a detective at every rank and the head of Public Protection. She was the force lead for domestic abuse, child protection and child sexual exploitation.

Vanessa was appointed from a shortlist of three following interviews held on December 2^nd.

The interview process itself was spread over two days, where all three candidates presented to stakeholders and staff panels and were then questioned by them on the first day, before then being interviewed by the Commissioner’s selection panel on the second day.

Winton Keenen will remain as chief constable in the interim period while Vanessa prepares to take up post.

STUDENT Support champions will be on hand in schools across Newcastle, as Police Commissioner Kim McGuinness funds a new Violence Reduction Unit initiative in a bid to drive down youth violence and knife crime across the region.

The new project launches following what has been a tragic few months for Tyneside, where the lives of two 14 year olds have been unnecessarily cut short as a result of youth violence.

Now, as part of major plans from the Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit, eight secondary schools will become the first to benefit from having student champions on hand to offer support on local youth violence issues.

As well as working with young people, including those believed to be at risk or involved in violent crime, the student champions will work closely with schools, police, council and community services, to prevent crime from happening.

The champions will be working with individuals and small groups, with the focus of the new roles being on building trusted relationships to encourage young people to seek support.

Young people will also take part in educational sessions covering the dangers of knife crime, how to keep themselves safe, and the consequences of violent crime.

The project aims to improve school attendance and behaviour, reduce suspensions and exclusions, strengthen community links and prevent serious youth violence.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness said “Education is a key component in our fight against crime, that’s why it’s so important to engage young people at the earliest opportunity. The Violence Reduction Unit is committed to stopping the cycle of criminality and already has a dedicated team delivering vital awareness sessions to schools and community groups all year round, but this new project will take it a step further by giving young people access to a trusted adult in their own school, on a regular basis. The team will be able to identify young people in need of support, work with them to understand their needs and refer them to services and interventions to provide help for them and their families.”

She added, “By giving young people access to information, support and opportunities, we can improve their lives, enable them to have positive aspirations for the future and divert them from a life of crime.”

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

POLICE Commissioner Kim McGuinness has warned difficult choices will have to be made unless the Government addresses a national funding shortfall in policing.

Inflation and staff pay costs will see Northumbria Police face at least £6.5m of efficiency savings next year, the Police Commissioner has revealed.

The current inflationary rises in costs are causing significant budget pressures across UK policing, in particular the increase in utility and fuel costs to local police stations, custody suites and vehicles. Northumbria Police covers an area of more than 2,000 square miles and consequently is required to operate from a significant number of different buildings and use more than 1.3m litres of fuel annually, in order to protect the public.

The cost-of-living crisis and inflationary rises are also impacting contracted services provided to the police.  In some cases, suppliers are either withdrawing from providing services or not re-tendering, resulting in disruptions to service and additional cost pressures on police resources.

Of the ‘more than £6m in extra costs’ facing the force, around two thirds are as a direct result of inflation – on top of an inflation bill of £2.2m already budgeted for this financial year.

As well as inflation the force is preparing for the cost of the reopening of pay talks, after the previous Home Secretary awarded police officers a higher pay rise than police staff.

Police Commissioner Kim McGuinness has already called on the new Home Secretary to provide additional funding to vital public services, such as the police, in order to prevent households being hit with higher council tax and policing bills.

She said: “The North urgently needs a fair funding settlement from Government. Whether it’s councils or police or fire services, the Government seems intent to push the bill on to local taxpayers.

“In the Northumbria force area, we are still suffering the fall out of the first round of austerity – when the Government cut 1,100 of our police officers. While forces down south have had their axed officer numbers fully replaced, we have been told to make do with less.

“Now we ‘re looking at an inflation hit that makes it even harder to keep our region safe.

“I have written to the Home Secretary urging her to fully fund local policing and fill the inflation budget gap. It is vital that Suella Braverman does more than just talk tough on crime; the Home Secretary has to hand the North the money it needs to fight crime.”

Plans to meet the efficiency savings will be outlined later in the year but the Force will maintain its commitment to officer uplift.

Working hard to keep our communities on the right track.

Dedicated officers have stepped up their activity to tackle antisocial behaviour and disorder across our town centres and transport hubs – with help from their partners.

On Friday, uniformed officers from Northumbria Police’s Neighbourhood Team and Operations Department stepped out with partners from Nexus, operator of the Tyne and Wear Metro, and Trinity Square to carry out additional patrols and ride the rails between Gateshead Interchange and Pelaw Metro Stations.

Taking place from 2pm to 10pm, the activity saw the team engage with shoppers in and around Trinity Square, as well as passengers and commuters – listening to concerns and feedback as well as monitoring the area for any antisocial and suspicious activity as well as escalating behaviour.

The activity, which was funded by the Violence Reduction Unit and co-ordinated with the help of Gateshead Council, will run for eight weeks and aims to help reduce crime and prevent disorder.

Praising the partnership approach to tackling disorder, and ensuring public spaces thrive, Neighbourhood Inspector Kevin Ashurst of Northumbria Police said: “Gateshead town centre is a bustling hub with many commuters and visitors passing through every day. It’s vital they are able to go about their business safely and in the knowledge that should they need us, we’re there.

“These patrols are an extension of the activity we regularly carry out, but they see us working in a more targeted and visible way, at those busy times when the public need us most – and with the added bonus of our partners accompanying us and sharing their expertise.

“While it’s only a small majority of people who cause disorder in our transport hubs and towns, we know that it can have a significant knock-on effect to those using the services and spending time in those affected places.

“This is why we will continue to have extra officers in and around Gateshead town centre throughout these coming winter months – so they can tackle disorder head-on listen to any concerns people might have.”

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, said: “Thanks to the success over the summer, we know that this targeted action does work. However, stopping there was not an option. We need to continue engaging young people and identifying those causing serious disruption in our communities – we will not tolerate their harmful behaviour. That’s why the Violence Reduction Unit have invested further in this crucial work. We need to understand the underlying causes and work with these individuals to deter them from crime – 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 – that’s why the more we work together and invest in prevention, the stronger our position will be in the fight against crime.”

Metro Operations Director, John Alexander, said: “We continue to work in co-operation with the police and other stakeholders to deal with anti-social behaviour when it occurs on Metro.

“These extra patrols will be of great reassurance to the law-abiding majority of people who pay for their travel and don’t want to put up with a minority who cause trouble.

“The extra policing and other measures we have put in place has helped to halve the levels of anti-social behaviour on Metro since the spring.

“Not only does Nexus invest in policing on Metro, we are also putting £3m into a security team to patrol the network on a permanent basis. We have invested £4m in improved CCTV, and all of our frontline staff wear body cameras.

“Anyone who causes trouble on Metro is likely to get caught and face prosecution, fines, and even a possible ban from using the system.”

To report suspicious behaviour, please use the Tell us Something page on the Northumbria Police website.

“Today the Chancellor had the chance to safeguard the next generation from the hardships of recession and deprivation. He had the chance to deliver long-term investment in public services and end a North South divide in police and public service funding.

“While I welcome the commitment to the devolution of more power to the North-East, today’s statement simply didn’t reflect what the people of our region need now. We have the highest level of child poverty, our public services are beyond breaking point and the police are being denied the officer numbers needed to keep us safe. This statement did not resolve any of this.

“Northumbria has 12 per cent fewer officers than it did in 2010 and it emerged this week that some forces, noticeably those in the south of England, are now boasting higher overall numbers than they had at the start of 2010. Yet there was no mention of police or police funding in the statement.

“Government is still failing to commit sufficient funds into policing because Government expects the bill to be picked up by hard hit households. The Chancellor said with the plans they’ve tried to be fair, well they haven’t tried hard enough. None of this is fair, particularly in the North-East.”

— KIM MCGUINNESS NORTHUMBRIA POLICE AND CRIME COMMISSIONER

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