An update from Durham Police and Crime Commissioner, Joy Allen.

BRIEFING – Issue 15 - 2026

Commissioner’s Welcome

This month has once again shown why listening to local people and acting on what you tell me matters.

From investing in activities to tackle anti-social behaviour in Darlington and listening to the concerns of our rural communities, to improving support for victims, my focus remains firmly on delivering practical improvements that make people feel safer.

I'm also continuing to make your voice heard nationally - challenging decisions where I believe victims and bereaved families deserve better and pushing for stronger action to prevent deaths and serious injuries on our roads.

There is always more to do. Please keep telling me what matters to you and your community, because your experiences and priorities continue to shape my work.

VICTIMS

Better support for victims, when they need it most

If you become a victim of crime, getting the right help should be simple.

That's why we have brought together our Victim Care and Advice Service and Community Peer Mentor Service under a new Victim Care and Mentor Service (VCAMS).

The aim is straightforward: to make it easier for victims to get the practical advice, specialist guidance and longer-term support they need, with help built around the individual rather than expecting people to navigate different services at what can already be an incredibly difficult time.

I want every victim to feel listened to, supported and treated with dignity - and I will continue working to improve the support available across County Durham and Darlington.

Find out more about the Victim Care and Mentor Service here.

Safer People, Safer Places

Tackling the hidden harm caused by gambling

Gambling addiction can devastate lives. It can tear families apart, fuel debt and desperation and, in some cases, contribute to offending and create further victims.

That is why I continue to push this issue nationally.

I recently met with Baroness Twycross, Lord Foster and Lord Timpson to discuss how we can strengthen our response to gambling-related harm.

I want to see gambling treatment properly embedded within offender rehabilitation so that we tackle the causes of offending, not simply deal with the consequences.

I also want us to make better use of the Proceeds of Crime Act to recover stolen money and assets. Where criminal behaviour linked to gambling has created victims, we should be doing everything possible to ensure offenders do not benefit from their crimes and that victims receive the justice and restitution they deserve.

Prevention, treatment and enforcement all have a part to play. Tackling gambling harm properly can prevent crime, reduce reoffending and, most importantly, prevent more people becoming victims.

Read more here.

Safer Neighbourhoods

Backing young people and tackling ASB in Cockerton

Residents rightly expect action when anti-social behaviour is affecting their neighbourhood.

Following reports of ASB in the Cockerton area of Darlington, I have invested £3,000 towards a new youth club run by the YMCA and match-funded by Love Cockerton.

It will give young people a safe and positive place to meet, socialise and take part in activities.

Tackling ASB requires enforcement where necessary, but prevention matters too. By intervening early and giving young people positive opportunities, we can help prevent problems escalating and make our communities safer for everyone.

This is exactly the type of practical, local problem-solving I want my funding to support.

Read more here.

Safer Countryside

You spoke. I listened. Now we need action on rural crime.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond to my rural crime survey.

Residents, farmers, landowners and businesses have told me about their experiences of crime in our countryside and, importantly, what needs to change.

The message is clear: rural communities want greater policing visibility, stronger partnership working and greater confidence that when they report suspicious activity or crime, their concerns will be taken seriously.

Your feedback will now help shape future priorities, investment and decisions about how we tackle rural crime.

People living and working in our countryside deserve to feel every bit as safe and supported as those living in our towns and villages. I will continue working with Durham Constabulary and our partners to make sure rural voices are heard and acted upon.

Find out what you told me and the top priorities here.

Safer Roads

113 drivers caught - the message still isn't getting through

Despite repeated warnings about the potentially devastating consequences, 113 motorists were caught driving under the influence of drink or drugs during our World Cup summer enforcement operation.

Our campaign, delivered alongside Durham Constabulary and Darlington Borough Council's Community Safety Team, was designed to challenge attitudes and remind motorists that drink and drug driving can destroy lives in seconds.

There is simply no excuse for getting behind the wheel impaired.

I will continue to support strong enforcement alongside prevention and education. Because ultimately, success isn't about how many dangerous drivers we catch,  it's about stopping people taking that risk in the first place and preventing another family having to live with the consequences.

Read more here.

Criminal Justice

Bereaved families must not be forgotten 

Families who have lost a loved one as a result of dangerous or reckless driving deserve confidence that court sentences carry real weight and meaning.

Having campaigned strongly to uphold that principle, I welcomed the Government's decision to prevent the early release of offenders convicted of unlawful killing, including those responsible for causing death by dangerous driving. This is a victory for victims, bereaved families and common sense.

I recognise the significant pressures facing our prison system and that difficult decisions must sometimes be made. However, those pressures cannot come at the expense of victims and bereaved families or undermine public confidence in the justice system.

Alongside strong custodial sentences, I believe there should be tougher and longer-lasting driving bans for those convicted of the most serious driving offences.

I will continue to make this case nationally and stand up for victims and bereaved families, whose voices must remain at the heart of our criminal justice system.

Read more here.

National Update

Taking County Durham and Darlington's voice to Westminster

Part of my job as your Police and Crime Commissioner is making sure the experiences of our communities are heard nationally - and pushing for change where it is needed.

Preventing road deaths and putting victims first

The latest Government figures are a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of dangerous driving, with 21% of road fatalities linked to drink and drugs and 25% of those killed or seriously injured driving for work or travelling to or from work.

As Joint Roads Policing and Transport Lead for the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, I am turning that concern into action.

Locally, I am pushing for greater use of workplace drug and alcohol testing to identify dangerous behaviour earlier, while nationally I continue to press for stronger action to prevent deaths and serious injuries.

But prevention is only part of the picture. I also strongly support the Victims' Commissioner's call for road victims and bereaved families to receive better treatment from the justice system. No family dealing with serious injury or the death of a loved one should then face unnecessary delays, poor communication or feel forgotten.

My message is simple: prevent the tragedy wherever we can - and when the worst happens, put victims and families first.

Read more here

Dangerous driving should never become entertainment

I am also challenging social media companies over videos that glamorise reckless and dangerous driving.

Following the devastating A66 collision that claimed seven lives, including Cleveland Police Constables Matthew Blades and Tom Clough, I have joined Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe in calling on social media companies to act swiftly against content that promotes or celebrates dangerous driving.

These platforms have a responsibility. Behaviour that can kill should never be promoted as entertainment or encouraged through clicks, likes and shares.

Deaths and serious injuries on our roads are not inevitable. We must use every tool available - prevention, enforcement, education and responsible online action - to stop more families experiencing such devastating loss.

My thoughts remain with the families, friends and colleagues of Matthew and Tom, and all those affected by this terrible tragedy.

Read more here.

Keep Talking To Me

The best way for me to represent you is to hear directly from you.

Whether it's anti-social behaviour in your neighbourhood, rural crime, road safety, support for victims or another issue affecting how safe you feel, please keep sharing your experiences with me.

Your voice matters. I will continue to listen, act and speak up for County Durham and Darlington.

County Durham & Darlington Police & Crime Commissioner