Durham Police and Crime Commissioner hails £100m funding for neighbourhood policing as ‘huge boost’

Durham Police and Crime Commissioner hails £100m funding for neighbourhood policing as ‘huge boost’

Durham Constabulary’s top brass have hailed multi-million-pound funding announced by the Government today as a “huge boost”.

The new Labour Government confirmed it will invest an extra £100 million into neighbourhood policing, adding to £100 million announced in December for England and Wales, with the intention of putting 13,000 more police officers on the streets by 2029. Downing Street said that the £200 million, which is part of the Police Funding Settlement published on Friday, is about “visible, accessible policing”.

Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen said that the £178 million allocated to Durham Constabulary, an increase of 6.5%, is something that has been “urgently needed”. Ms Allen said she had fought vigorously for extra investment to strengthen local policing, following years of real terms cuts under the previous Conservative Government.

According to figures from September 30, 2024, Durham Constabulary employs 1,392 officers, an increase of 0.9% (13 officers) on the previous year.

PCC Allen said: “The public consistently tell me they want to see additional police officers on their streets and for these officers to be visible and approachable. This priority has not changed since I was first elected, and we owe it to our communities to deliver what they need to feel safer.

PCC Allen continued: “Neighbourhood Policing is the bedrock of British policing and the foundation upon which public confidence and satisfaction is built. The officers, PCSOs and volunteers who work on the ground in our communities are the face of the force and instrumental to solving the problems that cause harm and allow crime to thrive.”

Durham Constabulary Chief Constable Rachel Bacon said she was confident that the new funding would help reduce crime and address anti-social behaviour in the county. She said: “Neighbourhood teams are at the heart of everything the public tell us they want to see from their police service: our communities want us to tackle crime and prevent antisocial behaviour; to protect the vulnerable and reduce the number of victims.

She added: “Visible policing and community engagement may not be glitzy and the results are not always instant, but the approach clearly does work in the long term.”

Today, Northumbria Police Police and Crime Commissioner Susan Dungworth also described the funding as “good news”, with its overall funding to be increased to £421.1m, an increase of seven percent. However, other forces, such as Lincolnshire and Essex have reacted with disappointment, both of which say they are facing a funding shortfall even with the new funding.

Dame Diana Johnson, Policing minister, said she was “not pretending” that police forces were not facing funding challenges, and decisions would need to be made locally on how many officers to have. She said that the Government was “starting from a difficult position” after 14 years under the Conservatives, but around £1b of additional funding is going to forces from April.

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View news Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/county-durham-police-funding-boost-30911955

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