Friday 11:30
County Durham Neighbourhood Policing Teams will receive a visit from Home Office Policing Minister Tony McNulty tomorrow (28 March). From the 31 March every community in England and Wales will have a neighbourhood policing team of police officers and Police Community Support Officers in place. The teams are dedicated to working with their local communities, agreeing priorities for action and informing the public of their progress.
The Minister will meet with Durham Chief Constable, Jon Stoddart and Durham Assistant Chief Constable, Michael Banks. He will also visit the Durham City Neighbourhood Policing Team and meet residents in the village of Ludworth who have worked with the team to combat anti-social behaviour and make it a safer place to be for all of its residents.
Tony McNulty said:
"The work of the Durham City Policing Team in Ludworth brilliantly demonstrates the work being undertaken by Neighbourhood Policing and Safer Neighbourhood teams throughout the country.
"The community engagement work undertaken by them builds confidence and reassurance in communities and forges valuable relationships with local people enabling the team to involve them in agreeing local policing priorities.
"Neighbourhood policing is central to making the police service more citizen focused. It is an integral part of the future of policing and it is what people want."
Assistant Chief Constable, Michael Banks, said:
"I am delighted to welcome Tony McNulty to Durham to show him what we have achieved in terms of neighbourhood policing.
"We will take him out and about in the county so he can see one of our neighbourhood policing teams in action, making the streets of Ludworth, a village in the Durham City area, a safer places to be for residents, and help him understand how our staff has achieved this.
"The Force was 12 months ahead of the Government's target for the implementation of neighbourhood policing.
"Our 13 Safer Community Teams are well established across the county and provide a visible, accessible and accountable police presence in the community. They are all working hard to engage with out communities and we hope that the Minister's visit will further encourage the public to engage with our local teams."
Durham City is a neighbourhood area, encompassing the historic cathedral city of Durham and its outlying villages. Neighbourhood policing in the area involves partnership working between the Durham Constabulary, Durham City Council, Durham County Council and the community. This partnership has had significant success in tackling crime and disorder, contributing to the projected 11% reduction in crime across the force area in the past year.
Ends
Notes to Editors:
Home Office Minister Tony McNulty will be meeting Durham Chief Constable Jon Stoddart and Assistant Chief Constable Michael Banks and the Durham City Neighbourhood Policing Team. He will also visit Ludworth to talk to local officers and residents.
Peel Building, 2 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DF http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/hopn.htm
Issued on behalf of the Home Office by Government News Network North East.
Client ref NE/139/08
