Preventing harm, standing alongside victims and making sure our communities receive the service they deserve are at the heart of my Police, Crime and Justice Plan.
This edition demonstrates what that means in practice.
We are strengthening support for victims of anti-social behaviour, investing in prevention with young people, helping communities protect themselves from crime and using education to make our roads safer.
We are also making sure the voice of County Durham and Darlington is heard nationally – whether that means pressing for stronger action on dangerous drugs, challenging attitudes towards drug driving or supporting improvements in the way victims are treated by the criminal justice system.
For me, the test is always the same: what difference will this make to victims, residents and communities?
That is the standard I will continue to apply as your Police and Crime Commissioner.
Standing together for victims – signing the ASB Help Pledge
Victims of anti-social behaviour should never feel that they have nowhere to turn.
That is why, on behalf of the Safe Durham Partnership, Darlington Community Safety Partnership and Durham Constabulary, I have signed the ASB Help Pledge.
Created by the charity ASB Help, the Pledge strengthens our collective commitment to putting victims first.
That means raising awareness of the ASB Case Review process, making applications accessible, communicating properly with victims and ensuring people understand their rights when persistent problems are not being resolved.
Signing a pledge, however, must be about more than words.
I want victims across County Durham and Darlington to see the difference through better communication, greater accountability and a system that listens and responds when they ask for help.
Persistent anti-social behaviour can have a devastating impact on people’s lives. Victims deserve to know that when they ask for help, they will be listened to, supported and taken seriously.
That is why I have introduced a package of improvements to strengthen the support and protection available to victims of persistent ASB across County Durham and Darlington.
Introduced ahead of new legislation, the changes form part of my commitment to delivering a first-class service to victims and include a dedicated Review Coordinator providing a single point of contact for ASB victims, two volunteer ASB Case Review Chairs and a new case management system.
Together, these improvements will help us identify repeat and persistent victims earlier, improve oversight of cases and make it easier for people to challenge the response they have received when they feel their concerns have not been properly addressed.
This is about putting victims at the centre of the response – not the process.
Find out more about the improved support available to victims of ASB here.
Using technology to prevent knife crime before it starts
Preventing knife crime means reaching young people before dangerous choices are made.
I have provided £4,500 to expand an innovative Virtual Reality education programme addressing knife crime, gangs and anti-social behaviour.
Through interactive scenarios, young people are able to experience the consequences of decisions involving knives and gangs in a safe environment and explore how seemingly small choices can have life-changing consequences.
The expanded programme will now reach 1,194 pupils across primary, secondary and SEN schools.
This is exactly the kind of early intervention I want to see through my Police, Crime and Justice Plan: partners working together, using innovation and education to prevent harm rather than waiting until a young person enters the criminal justice system.
Gold recognition for our independent custody watchdogs
Independent scrutiny is essential to maintaining confidence in policing.
I am therefore delighted that our Independent Custody Visiting Scheme has achieved Gold in the Independent Custody Visiting Association’s Quality Assurance Framework.
The scheme, managed by my office, provides independent oversight of the treatment and welfare of people detained in police custody.
Achieving the highest level of recognition reflects the quality of the scheme, its management and, above all, the dedication of our volunteer Independent Custody Visitors.
Their work provides reassurance to the public, helps identify where improvements can be made and ensures that the treatment of people in custody is subject to robust, independent scrutiny.
This is an outstanding achievement and one everyone involved should be extremely proud of.
National assessment recognises Durham Constabulary’s performance
Effective policing matters because communities rightly expect their police service to prevent crime, respond when they need help and use public money effectively.
Durham Constabulary has been awarded Level One status in HMICFRS’s new Police Performance System – the benchmark standard expected of forces under the new assessment arrangements.
This is welcome recognition of the work being undertaken by officers, staff and leaders across the force, and they deserve credit for their commitment to serving our communities.
But good performance must ultimately be judged by the service residents experience.
As Police and Crime Commissioner, I will continue to hold the Chief Constable to account for maintaining performance, addressing areas where further improvement is required and ensuring that progress translates into safer communities, better outcomes for victims and greater public confidence.
There can be no room for complacency. Our ambition must always be to improve.
Prevention does not always require expensive or complicated interventions.
Working with Durham Constabulary and Durham University, I have provided funding towards anti-theft bike reflectors and bells incorporating GPS trackers to help students protect their bicycles from theft.
Local data shows that a high proportion of cycle thefts reported in Durham City during the winter occurred on or close to the university campus.
For students who rely on their bicycles to travel to university, work or around the city, theft can be costly and extremely disruptive.
By using crime data to identify where the risk is greatest and investing in practical preventative technology, we can help people protect their property while making bikes less attractive targets for thieves.
Wherever you live, anti-social behaviour should never simply be accepted as something you have to put up with.
I have relaunched our Don’t Suffer in Silence campaign to increase awareness of how people can report ASB across rural County Durham and Darlington.
My recent survey found that 40% of residents and businesses still choose not to report ASB, often because they believe nothing will change if they come forward.
That concerns me.
If incidents are not reported, agencies cannot build the intelligence needed to understand the scale of a problem, identify repeat victims and offenders or target resources effectively.
Rural victims can also face particular challenges, including isolation and concerns that reporting incidents may identify them within small communities.
Our campaign will therefore continue to raise awareness, encourage reporting and connect victims with the help and support available.
My message is simple: don’t suffer in silence. Please report it. Your information can help us act.
Tyres save lives. Maintenance saves lives. Prevention saves lives.
Some of the most important road safety measures take only minutes.
I recently spoke at TyreSafe’s national conference about the importance of tyre maintenance in preventing collisions, injuries and deaths.
Research highlighted by the charity suggests 56.8% of car tyres are at least 4psi below their recommended pressure.
Worn, damaged or underinflated tyres reduce grip, increase stopping distances and can make it much harder for a driver to avoid a collision when every second counts.
Most tyre checks take less than five minutes. The consequences of failing to make them can last a lifetime.
My approach to road safety combines education, prevention and enforcement, but drivers also have an important personal responsibility to ensure the vehicle they take onto the road is safe.
Check your tyres. - Check your pressure. - It could save a life.
Support for Road Traffic Collision Victims.
Commissioner Allen, with her joint APCC Roads Policing Lead Philip Seccombe, has welcomed a new report from the Victims’ Commissioner highlighting the experiences of people affected by road traffic collisions. PCCs and Deputy Mayors are calling for a more victim-centred approach, stronger support services, and better accountability to ensure victims and bereaved families receive the information and support they are entitled to. The APCC also stressed the importance of prioritising road safety and ensuring collisions are investigated thoroughly, with compassion and care for those affected.
Criminal Justice
New powers to tackle persistent ASB offenders
Supporting victims must be matched by robust action against those who repeatedly make other people’s lives a misery.
I therefore welcome the rollout of new Respect Orders, giving police and councils additional powers to tackle persistent adult perpetrators of anti-social behaviour.
From 26 October, the new powers will enable restrictions to be placed on offenders, including banning individuals from particular locations or preventing behaviours such as drinking in designated public spaces.
These powers can strengthen the work already taking place across County Durham and Darlington to tackle persistent ASB.
But new legislation will only make a difference if it is used effectively. I will therefore want to understand how the new powers are being implemented locally, what difference they are making for repeat victims and whether they are helping partners intervene earlier and prevent further offending.
The experiences of our communities help shape the issues I raise nationally.
Through my national responsibilities, I will continue to make sure County Durham and Darlington has a strong voice in the decisions that affect policing, criminal justice, addictions and road safety.
Stronger action against dangerous synthetic opioids
I welcome Government action to criminalise the supply, production, importation and possession of seven named synthetic opioids known as ‘orphines’.
As APCC joint national lead for Addictions and Substance Misuse, I have consistently argued that policing needs the tools to respond quickly to emerging drug threats.
These highly dangerous substances have been linked to deaths in the UK, and we must prevent them gaining a foothold in our communities.
Enforcement is essential, particularly against those importing and supplying dangerous drugs. But our response must also include intelligence, prevention, public health, treatment and early warning systems capable of identifying emerging substances and harms quickly.
The illegal drugs market changes rapidly. Our response must be capable of moving just as quickly.
Challenging the normalisation of drug driving among young people
Drug driving kills and destroys lives. It must never become normalised.
As APCC joint national lead for Roads Policing and Transport, I am backing the national THINK! Don’t put drugs in the driving seat campaign.
Targeted particularly at 17–29-year-olds, the campaign is running across social media, online video, posters and audio channels during the summer period when drug-driving collisions typically increase.
Research informing the campaign raises particular concerns about the normalisation of drug driving among younger male drivers, including worrying attitudes among learner and newly qualified drivers.
Education is essential – but it must sit alongside visible enforcement, effective roadside testing and consequences capable of deterring people from getting behind the wheel after taking drugs.
My message could not be clearer: if you take drugs, don’t drive. No journey is worth somebody’s life.
Improving justice for victims of rape and serious sexual offences
Victims of rape and serious sexual offences deserve confidence that decisions affecting their cases have been taken carefully, transparently and fairly.
I therefore welcome the Crown Prosecution Service’s decision to enable eligible victims to request a review by another prosecutor before a prosecution is formally stopped.
This is an important step towards giving victims a stronger voice at one of the most difficult points in the criminal justice process.
Delivering justice is about more than securing convictions. It is about ensuring every victim feels heard, respected and supported, whatever the eventual outcome. It means making decisions transparent, upholding rights under the Victims’ Code and ensuring victims are never left wondering whether their case received the attention it deserved.
I welcome this change, but I will continue to listen to victims and challenge criminal justice partners where more needs to be done.
Our ambition must remain a criminal justice system that victims can trust and have confidence in.
Have Your Say
Listening to residents is fundamental to my Police, Crime and Justice Plan.
Whether your concern is anti-social behaviour, crime, road safety, rural communities, drugs, support for victims or the criminal justice system, your experiences help us understand what is working and where more needs to be done.
That information helps shape investment, informs the questions I ask of the Chief Constable and our partners, and strengthens the case I make to Government for national change.
You said. We’re doing. Together, we can make County Durham and Darlington safer.
County Durham & Darlington Police & Crime Commissioner
