PRESS RELEASE
WITH the cost-of-living crisis escalating and crime continuing to evolve, Police Commissioner Kim McGuinness is keen to hear the views of local people to help refresh her plans to keep fighting and preventing crime across the North East.
The PCC’s Police and Crime plan is based on people’s views, feelings and experiences of crime across Northumberland Tyne and Wear, which they can share through the survey HERE.
Last year’s plan focused on fighting poverty and fighting crime, as the Commissioner believes the two social injustices go hand and in hand. Her approach and priorities were met with overwhelming support across the region.
In fact, this was the first plan in the country to recognise that we will never beat crime with just a strong police force and more boots on the ground. From jobs to youth services to better transport, Kim strongly believes there are so many other issues we need to look at in order to keep people out of criminality and improve lives.
| The existing plan outlines the current priorities: |
| Fighting crime: Anti-social behaviour, Reducing crime |
| Preventing crime: Preventing violent crime, Neighbourhood policing |
| Improving lives: Support for victims; Tackling Domestic abuse and Sexual Violence |
With rising inflation and what the PCC describes as ‘insufficient’ Government funding for the region, Northumbria Police is facing cuts of more than £11million in the next year, meaning difficult decisions lie ahead.
This, she said, makes it more important than ever that the force has the right priorities in place: “From families to policing; everywhere is feeling the pinch right now and our region always seems to fair the worst. Well, I am passionate about our region I want to make sure it’s a safe one and that it’s a place where people thrive.
“So with budgets so tight, we need to really carefully consider our policing priorities and make sure they are right and that we are listening to real people and real concerns. We can then deliver the improvements people want to see.
“We all want to see more officers on the streets, fighting crime and responding to emergencies and we are making this happen as best we can with the finances and resources we’ve got. From knife crime to antisocial behaviour to domestic abuse, I want to hear your concerns to help put plans into action. The more people’s insight we get through this survey, the better.
She continued: “Fighting crime is and still will be the number one priority for myself and Northumbria Police but we have to get ahead of it and prevent crime from happening in the first place. It’s about the future of our region. Too many of our children grow up in poverty, too many kids don’t get the support they need as they’re growing up, and too often that means they store up problems that play out in adult life and in some cases, lead to crime. We have to tackle the root causes to beat this.
“If we reduce poverty we reduce crime and this benefits everyone, regardless of your income or your postcode. Not to mention the ever-growing demands and pressures on our hard-working police force. We have to get this right and I want your help. Together, we can improve lives for the people of the North East.”
ENDS
