A commitment to put dozens more police officers on the streets of County Durham and Darlington has been welcomed by Durham Constabulary

The Government today revealed details of the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, which promises to put 13,000 more officers into communities across the country by 2029.

That will mean an extra 26 neighbourhood officers in County Durham and Darlington during the current year, with details of future allocations for the force still to be confirmed.

The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee also confirms named and contactable officers for every neighbourhood and guaranteed police patrols in target areas at peak times.

Durham Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen and Chief Constable Rachel Bacon jointly welcomed the announcement,saying neighbourhood policing and officers on the street are crucial to connecting with local communities.

Chief Constable Bacon said: “Visibility and engagement with local communities has always been central to the British policing model and remains at the heart of what we do.

“In every community people want to feel safe where they live and work: safe from anti-social behaviour, safe from shoplifting, and safe from personal robbery. Neighbourhood policing is at the heart of that helping tackle that”.

Since joining Durham in November 2023, Chief Constable Bacon has made neighbourhood policing the force’s highest priority, directing additional resources to neighbourhood teams, using hot spot patrols to target anti-social behaviour and encouraging beat teams to solve local problems and prevent crime.

Under Operational Trailblazer, which see extra patrols to target anti-social behaviour hot spots, so far this year officers have already carried out more than 2,500 hours of patrols and made 20 arrests.

Most recent figures show that, over the last year, overall crime has been cut by 6.8%, residential burglary is down by4.9% and violent crime is down by 13.1%

Chief Constable Bacon added: “We welcome the continued investment in hotspot policing and visible targeted patrols, which are the bedrock of community policing, and effective deterrents in detecting and preventing anti-social behaviour and serious violent crime.

“People have a right to live their lives free from intimidation and harassment in their own communities. We know anti-social behaviour has the power to wreck people’s lives and therefore it is important to have a multi-agency approach to tackling anti-social behaviour.

“Effective investment in neighbourhood policing and the whole system means investment in stronger communities and safer streets.”

Durham Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen, who last night attended an attestation ceremony for the latest 24 recruits to be sworn-in as new police officers, said: “I welcome these extra officers who will increase our capabilities and strengthen the proactive work already underway to make our communities safer, stronger and more resilient to both crime and harm.

“As Police and Crime Commissioner, I am elected to serve the people and businesses of County Durham and Darlington and collectively they have made it clear that a strong and visible policing presence on their streets is non-negotiable; this is what every community expects and deserves and this is what I have always promised to deliver.

“Last week, my new Police, Crime and Justice Plan came into force, setting out dynamic and ambitious action to target the people’s priorities and there can be no doubt that this extra funding and resources will help the force to deliver against these important goals.

“While I am pleased the Government has acknowledged the immense value of effective Neighbourhood Policing with this additional investment, we are still, as a force, some way off from where we were in 2010 with ever-evolving and unique demand pressures. These new additions bring us closer, and I assure the public they will be deployed to where they are needed most. Nevertheless, I will continue my fight for a more equitable share of central resources for Durham and other left behind communities by pressing ministers for an urgent overhaul of the current funding formula”.

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