We want all high streets to be bustling, not crime hotspots and so it was good to in Concord, Sunderland this month to speak with shop owners & community groups, to discuss their local priorities and how we can continue to tackle crime locally.

I know the force are doing all they can to tackle shoplifting proactively and ensure those bringing misery to our businesses are tackled swiftly. There is a real focus on investigations where offenders use violence, we’ve introduced new flagging systems within the communications centre to and have improved police visibility through the new neighbourhood policing teams model. Next month I will be hosting a second Retail Crime roundtable to discuss ways we can build on this work and keep up the momentum with fighting retail crime.

MIND OVER MATTER
This month I paid the Everyturn Mental Health team a visit at their new Northumberland Safe Haven, in Ashington. 

Anyone in need can now walk into this new Safe Haven, speak to a crisis worker, get help, and support or just have a reassuring chat.

I’d love to see a place like this in every community and am so grateful to Adam and the team for making this happen. Calls of concern for people’s mental health place great pressure on our police and although our officers do all they can for those in need, but those in crisis need support from healthcare specialists. That’s also why I have invested in getting mental health specialists in our control rooms so they can offer support right at the moment of contact.