PRESS RELEASE

POLICE Commissioner Kim McGuinness is calling on those who work with men and boys across the region to take up new training to help challenge the behaviours that support harassment and violence against women and girls.

‘Active bystander training’ is a new programme launched this week by the Commissioner’s office as part of determined efforts to prevent the unwelcome behaviours that can increase the likelihood of abuse occurring.

Bystander intervention is viewed by experts as a way that can be effective in preventing assault from happening. This new training is a powerful tool taking you through the steps from noticing a problem, having the confidence to act and determining the best course of action to take.

The innovative training has been designed to empower bystanders and is being delivered by national behaviour change specialists, Kindling Transformative Interventions and Beyond Equality. The training seeks to equip people with the skills and confidence needed to speak up when they notice behaviours that aren’t right such as harassment, sexual harassment, or problematic and threatening behaviour.

National figures show 71 per cent of women have experienced harassment in public spaces. A recent survey by the Commissioner’s office revealed the majority of women would like to see more initiatives to drive the change in attitudes and behaviours towards women and girls. The PCC is making this happen and wants to ensure men and boys are included in part of the solution to tackle the misogyny and sexism that are often at the root of the problem.

Organisations that have signed up to become Active Bystander Trainers so far intend to empower more than 3000 men and boys and people in our communities to become active bystanders before the end of 2023.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, said: “If no one confronts these sexist behaviour and attitudes people continue accepting them as normal – this has to change. By doing nothing we empower the harasser so it’s on us all – we all have to do something.

“It really isn’t always just banter“ she continued, “it’s about how it makes us feel, and what these attitudes and behaviours can lead to.”

“I want people to know there is always something you can do as a bystander and the more active bystanders we have in the North East, the bigger change we can make and the more we can positively impact wider culture on this.

“I really want to urge people, businesses, organisations to get signed up and be that difference. Be the guy telling your mate to pack it in or check a woman is OK. The majority of people know what’s right and what’s wrong and when they see things they want to call it out and intervene but many people are just not sure how to go about it.

“I hope this training will bring real, lasting change to workplaces, organisations and communities across the North East. I see it as an important step forward empowering others in the fight against violence against women and girls and improving lives.”

Lee Crosby, Head of Youth and Community Education at the Foundation of Light in Sunderland, one of the local organisations already signed up said: “The Foundation of Light are proud to part of this new initiative launched by the Police and Crime Commissioner and will use the Active Bystander training to challenge negative behaviours, including harassment and violence against women and girls in the various projects we deliver.

“We want to support the Police and Crime Commissioner’s work embedding positive messages and behaviours throughout the work we do, whilst ensuring prejudice behaviours and attitudes are challenged so women and girls feel safe in the communities in which we live and work.”

Nate Eisenstadt, Co-founder of Kindling and Senior Research Associate at University of Bristol said:

“We’re at a place now in society where most people know when they see something harmful unfolding – what many of us lack is the confidence and skillset to intervene in ways that are effective. This training is about doing just that – it offers people a practical set of tools to step up respond to harm and prevent escalation.

The training is free to attend and is funded as part of the OPCC’s Safer Streets project and the Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit.

More info and to sign up click here 

ENDS

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

A diversionary project designed to inspire North Tyneside’s young people and guide them away from criminality has been hailed as an overwhelming success.

The ten-week programme has recently come to a close and has seen fantastic levels of engagement and enthusiasm from those involved.

The activity has been funded by Police and Crime Commissioner Kim McGuinness’ Violence Reduction Unit (VRU).

More than £20,000 was invested in the local community by the VRU, with a number of targeted projects launched with support from the local partnerships such as Edge North East, North Tyneside Council and Power Through Sport.

The funding sought to inspire and divert young people away from crime after an anti-social behaviour spike in the area in previous years. The programme also hoped to engage and teach children of all backgrounds more positive ways to interact with their interests.

The main activity of the funding saw the introduction of instructive BMX sessions to promote fun as well as safety to positively influence those who may be prone to risky behaviours.

Sessions were hosted by coaches at Barnesbury BMX Club in Bedlington who purchased new equipment to provide access to free, up-to-date gear – removing any barriers to participation.

Transport to and from the sessions was also facilitated by local charity Edge North East, to allow as many youngsters to take part as possible and to ensure inclusivity.

Neighbourhood Inspector Jennifer Scott said: “This dedicated action is just one way we have been addressing the concerns reported to police and partners by residents.

“I was really pleased to see such excellent engagement taking place with young people in the area, and the feedback we have received has been overwhelmingly positive.

“This activity of course is not just a one-off and we would like to reassure those living and working in the area that patrols and partnership working will continue. In the coming weeks we have several initiatives in the area to be launched, and this work continues all year round.

“However, we would also ask members of the public to continue to be our eyes and ears on the ground and report any intelligence to police or the most appropriate agency.”

Insp Scott continued: “I would encourage parents and carers to continue to engage and work with us about anti-social behaviour. Please speak to your children about where they are heading, what they are doing and the potential consequences of getting mixed up in this type of activity.

“Ultimately, we need your support to tackle anti-social behaviour in North Tyneside and to help ensure that young people in the community are safe.”

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, said: “This work builds on the success we have seen during the summer months and provides young people with access to activities and projects that interest them, right in the heart of their local communities.

“We must continue to do all we can to steer young people away from the dangers and consequences of becoming involved in crime. That’s why the Violence Reduction Unit is committed to ramping up its seasonal activity to ensure projects like this are available in areas that need them most.

“I can’t stress enough how important it is that we provide our region’s young people with as many opportunities as possible, because with the right support, we can help them to make positive decisions for the future.”

Praising the work of everyone involved, she added: “My thanks go to all the organisations that have come together to make everything so accessible for young people. We are so much stronger when we work together in the fight against crime.”

Many of those involved in the sessions showed a natural ability from the outset and a keenness to learn in a safe and supportive environment.

The youngsters will be able to build on the foundation of the skills learned from the involvement with the programme in the future, and now know where to look for support.

Activity also came in the form of weekly street discussions with young people in the area by Edge NE teams who also regularly engaged with local community groups to allow for an even bigger group of children to be involved.

If you see anything suspicious in your community, always report it to police via the ‘Tell Us Something’ page on our website or by calling 101. In an emergency, or if a crime is taking place, always ring 999.

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.

The Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit announced today that it has awarded almost £8,000 to fund projects developed by young people with the aim of tackling knife crime.

Giving young people the chance to have their voices heard is exactly what the Local Youth Fund is all about, and in this latest round, it provided an opportunity for them to put forward ideas to encourage young people to think twice about carrying or using a knife.

With that in mind, young people across the region bid for a range of activities that they felt would make a difference to their local areas and improve their feelings of safety.

As young people continue to shape this fund, a youth panel were responsible for reviewing the applications and providing their recommendations for funding. This has resulted in nearly 600 young people now set to get their projects underway.

Focused on increasing awareness of the dangers and consequences of knife crime, the successful applicants came up with projects including wearing white at community sessions to spark conversation amongst young people, hearing from specialists in information sessions, and sports activities such as a ‘knives down’ football league,  with important messages around staying safe.

The organisations supporting the successful applicants include:

• Sporting Chance North East
• Hat-Trick
• Northbourne Youth Initiative
• Neetzotz Ltd
• Trinity Academy Newcastle
• Curious Arts
• Forget Me Not Residents Association
• Auxillia Youth Services CIC
• Mary Ashley and YMCA Newcastle
• Durham Army Cadets – Northfield Gardens TA Centre

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, said: “Knife crime is a national problem but we are not immune to it here in the North East. In the last few months, our region has experienced total devastation at the loss of several young lives and I don’t want to see another family go through this. That’s why we must continue to do all we can to tackle violence, which has no place in our communities. The youth fund is one of many initiatives from the Violence Reduction Unit, that puts our young people at the heart of its decision-making and gives them the chance to tell us how they think knife crime can be prevented – and they have done just that.”

Commenting on the additional benefits that the youth fund provides, Kim added: “In previous rounds, we have seen young people gaining new skills and growing in confidence, which is why I can’t stress enough how important it is that we continue to give them access to opportunities. With the right support, we can help our young people make positive choices for the future and reduce their chance of becoming involved in crime.”

On behalf of the North East Youth Alliance, NE Youth Chief Executive Jon Niblo said: “We are proud to continue our collaborative work with the Violence Reduction Unit and for the hard work and dedication of our young people involved in the latest panel for the Local Youth Fund, which places them at the heart of key decisions.”

Thanks to previous rounds of the Youth Fund, almost £30,000 has already made a difference to around 4,000 young people through projects and activities they bid for, including a variety of sports activities, training programmes for personal development, improving local areas and a focus on health and well-being.

For more information on the Local Youth Fund, please contact the Violence Reduction Unit by email VRU@northumbria-pcc.gov.uk.

This winter, the Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit invested over £100,000 in communities, to fund targeted work aimed at driving down serious violence across the region.

Committed to identifying individuals causing significant harm in communities and diverting them from crime, the Violence Reduction Unit teamed up with partners such as Northumbria Police, local councils and youth organisations, in a bid to tackle serious violence together.

As winter plans got underway, including a focus on key events over the festive period, increased police patrols, more youth workers and diversionary activities for young people, early figures show the impact of this work with crime down 14% in December.

In Sunderland City Centre, crime dropped by a staggering 37% compared to the previous year, due to the increase in police presence, neighbourhood wardens and more youth and health provision.

This follows the success seen during the summer where levels of violence dropped by 12.2% across the region thanks to targeted interventions. With that in mind, the PCC chaired the Violence Reduction Unit’s quarterly strategic board meeting this month, where it was agreed to continue this targeted seasonal approach over the next two years.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, said: “We know that this targeted action does work, we have seen significant impact during the summer and further positive results this winter. But we need to do more of it, which is why I’m delighted that the Violence Reduction Unit have set out plans to continue this work over the next two years along with a range of partners including Northumbria Police, local councils and youth organisations.”

Praising the commitment of everyone involved, she added: “We are always stronger when we work together, and I hope that by continuing this crucial work, it will provide some reassurance that we will do all we can to stop violent crime.”

Steven Hume, Director of the Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit, said: “Nationally, Violence Reduction Units are making significant progress in tackling serious violence, but, we recognise that more needs to be done. We know that where we have targeted work locally during the summer and winter months, we have seen a decline in violence. That is why it is incredibly important that we continue to target our interventions in areas of need, identify individuals causing the most harm and work with them to understand the root causes of their offending behaviour. We will not tolerate violence in our communities, so to those who choose not to engage in our interventions, there will be consequences.”

Councillor Claire Rowntree, Deputy Leader of Sunderland City Council, said: “It’s brilliant to see the positive impact that partnership working with Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit, Northumbria Police and Sunderland Business improvement District (BID) has had on making our city centre a safe and attractive place to be for residents, visitor and businesses. Our own involvement in this saw the City Council assisting with additional patrols by wardens and ASB officers as well as directing youth workers into areas most in need and I’m delighted that this tried and tested partnership approach has made such a positive difference.”

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