Latest information from Susan Dungworth, Police and Crime Commissioner for Northumbria

Below is some important information from Susan Dungworth, Police and Crime Commissioner for Northumbria, dated 7 August 2024:

Following recent events in Sunderland and in other parts of the region I want to update you around the current position.

I have been in close contact with the Chief Constable, Vanessa Jardine, and her team and have ensured that Northumbria Police are fully aware of community concerns around this situation. I appreciate how the riots in Sunderland have affected all of our communities, not just in the city but further afield, and I assure you that our communities are very much at the forefront of our work.

Although the operational decisions remain very much under the remit of the Chief Constable, I have undertaken the following:

  • On Monday morning, together with the Deputy Leader of Sunderland Council and the North East Mayor, I met faith leaders and partner organisations in Sunderland to talk about the events of the weekend and listen to their concerns. A further meeting has been arranged and the group will continue to work together to support recovery.
     
  • There will be a meeting in Newcastle later this week with faith leaders and partners in anticipation of expected disruption across the city. I will attend this meeting with the Leader of Newcastle City Council and the North East Mayor.
     
  • I have daily contact with the Chief Constable and we are briefing local MPs on our work. I am also making sure the Home Secretary is aware of local issues, through regular contact.
     
  • As you will be aware, part of my role is to ensure appropriate services are in place for victims of crime to help them cope and recover. To achieve this, I fund the Northumbria Victims and Witness Service (NVWS) and in light of the recent disturbances we will be promoting the service provision and sharing contact details on social media. You can find these here. 

    Support is available for all victims of crime, and there is no need to report a crime to the police to access the service.
     
  • Through the Violence Reduction Unit we are providing additional resources to youth organisations in Sunderland to undertake additional targeted detached youth work. A similar scheme will be offered to Newcastle to provide additional support for young people in these areas.

Northumbria Police are working through the Local Resilience Forum to coordinate a robust multi-agency response to the disorder we have recently seen and that we know is planned. As part of this coordinated response, Northumbria Police community engagement teams are working through structured meetings with local communities and the voluntary and community sector right across Northumbria to share information, insights and intelligence.

I can assure you that ensuring the safety of members of the public, businesses and our officers is of the utmost priority for Northumbria Police, and there will be a robust police presence in Newcastle City Centre over the weekend.

In addition, to report a crime or share information, please send Northumbria Police a direct message on social media, or use the live chat function and online report forms on the force's website.

Alternatively, if you are unable to make contact this way, please call 101 (or use Northumbria Police's textphone service on 18001 101 if you have a hearing or speech impediment). . In an emergency, or where a crime is taking place, always dial 999.

To keep up to date with the latest news from Northumbria Police please follow or visit: 

Working together, we will keep our communities updated and be there for them every step of the way. If you want to reach out to my office for any reason at all please contact us via enquiries@northumbria-pcc.gov.uk