Well January ended on a high with the welcome Government announcement of an extra £100m funding for neighbourhood policing nationwide.
At long last we have a Government in power that’s backing up its words to cut crime with the cash needed to help do it. This is a great financial boost for neighbourhood policing – one that will help deliver my new Police and Crime Plan for safer streets and stronger communities across Northumbria and I look forward to sharing this with you later this month.
We await further detail from the Home Office, and I look forward to working with the Chief Constable to determine what this translates to operationally in terms of boots on the ground and investigative work behind the scenes. All in all, its good news and will help officers deter, prevent and respond to crime in our area - growing people’s confidence and overall feelings of safety.
Any additional resource we can get our hands on is welcome, but it doesn’t change our commitment to working hard to balance the books to ensure our police force is both efficient and effective, offering good value for money for Northumbria’s residents.
Yours, Susan