Vera Baird DBE KC

Chair Criminal Cases Review Commission. Member Women’s Justice Bd.
Ex Victims’ Commissioner, Solicitor Gen & PCC. Fellow St Hilda’s Oxford. Writer. Labour Party

Author: VBoffice

  • Have your say, make your voice heard – The 2018 National Rural Crime Survey

    Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Dame Vera Baird QC is urging rural communities to take part in a national survey on rural crime.

    It is three years since the last National Rural Crime Survey which revealed how rural communities were affected by crime.

    Here in Northumbria, the police regularly meet residents and businesses who reside in our rural communities, so the National Rural Crime Network (NCRN) provides another opportunity for police officers and the Commissioner to engage with residents.

    The NCRN brings together Police and Crime Commissioners, police forces and organisations that play a key role in rural communities – like the Country Land and Business Association, the National Farmers Union, Neighbourhood Watch, Crimestoppers, Historic England and the Countryside Alliance.

    The aim of the National Rural Crime Network is to help provide greater understanding of the problems and impact of crime in rural communities so more can be done to help them be safe – and feel safe.

    The survey launched today and looks at a number of areas ranging from whether you report crimes that you or your business suffer, to the impact anti-social behaviour has on you and your area.

    It’s all about making sure the voice of rural communities is heard by those who can make a difference to where we live and work – from the Police to Government.

    People have until June 10 to complete the survey which is available online.

    Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Vera Baird is a member of the National Rural Crime Network and is committed to tackling this crime type.

    She said: “I fully support and welcome this survey which will help address issues and concerns in the heart of the affected communities. Our officers work closely with rural residents and businesses and this survey provides another opportunity for us to see how we can further improve policing.

    “Rural crime is very much a priority for me. Northumbria has large rural areas and the effects this type of crime has on communities within them can be harmful to businesses and locals.

    “I want to reassure all residents that I am dedicated to ensuring that Northumbria Police will continue to work with partners to reduce and tackle rural crime and safeguard vulnerable areas. I look forward to seeing the results of the survey to help us further this aim.”

    To complete the survey and for more information on NRCN visit www.nationalruralcrimenetwork.net

    The results will also feed into the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s Rural Affairs National Strategy for 2018-2021 which is due to be launched later this year.

  • Providing effective policing in Northumbria.

    As Chronicle readers will know, I have been lobbying the government hard over their unfair funding for our police service. Since 2010 Northumbria Police have had to endure cuts imposed on us of over £135 million, this has not been an easy challenge. However, the Chief Constable and I have squeezed every penny out of every pound to invest in the priorities that you set in the Police and Crime Plan – we will continue to look for savings.

    The government took their budget cutting even further this year and gave Northumbria a budget that assumed council tax payers would pay £12 a year more for policing for a Band D property (£8 for a Band A property), if I didn’t do what they proposed it would mean over £5 million less for policing in Northumbria and that would be unthinkable. We consulted with many local residents on this proposal and I was heartened that 80% of those we contacted wanted to maintain our excellent policing service and were prepared to pay increase on the police precept.

    Due to the continuous massive cuts, we now have a very small amount of funds in reserve As people will know, every public organisation has to keep some money in reserve ‘for a rainy day”.

    In 2010, the force had over £70 million in reserves, The cuts have been so steep and so deep that we have had to use a large part of those reserves to fund day to day policing – to keep officers on the beat. If reserves had not been used, we would have had to let hundreds more police officers go. By March 2018, the massively depleted force reserves will stand at a little over £9 million and there is a danger that Tory cuts put us in the vulnerable position of not being able to respond to an emergency or to fund major change costs because we don’t have the reserves to do so. CIPFA, the public sector accounting body, recommend reserves of at least 3% of turnover and ours are just on that margin.

    All this talk about poor funding settlements and low reserves can give an impression that things are bad, and I guess they are in relation to pounds and pennies, but our best asset are our people. Thanks to our great police officers, staff and the partners they work with, the communities we serve are some of the safest in the country. Northumbria police always try to go the extra mile and I am grateful to all our staff who make this happen. As I sign off, you have my assurances that we will always put you and your family first.

  • Providing excellent value for money.

    Just before Christmas, right up until last week I’ve been working with my team to find out the views of local residents on the amount of council tax to be paid for local policing – the police precept. As you know, the Government announced that Northumbria Police will receive central grant funding of £222.7m in 2018/19, which reflects government funding being maintained at the same level as 2017/18 – but only if the Police Precept part of the council tax is increased by £12 for Band D properties.
    The Government has determined that total funding for Northumbria (government grant plus precept) of £265.3m can be achieved only if the Police precept part of the local council tax is raised by £12 per year for a Band D property. If the precept is not raised by that amount, there will be a real terms cut to Northumbria Police funding of up to £5.1m. This is in addition to central government funding for Northumbria being reduced by 37% in real terms since 2010.

    In Northumbria people living in a band D property currently pay £98.33 per year in council tax for their police service. A £12.00 per year increase on that figure, as calculated by the Government, would mean an extra 23p a week. Most residents in Northumbria have a band A property and for those the increase would be 15p a week (£8.00 for the full year). Northumbria currently has the lowest police precept of all the 43 police forces in England and Wales, by a very long way due to historical factors.

    Once again the Government is moving the burden of proper police funding on to council tax payers through the police precept. The government are telling me if I don’t increase the precept by the figure they have used in their funding formula, Northumbria will have less money in real terms to spend on priorities such as neighbourhood policing. Our consultation saw us hit the streets all over the Force area, including the shopping area at Four Lane Ends. We also spoke to nearly 700 people on the phone.

    The results were overwhelmingly in favour of the small weekly increase, I am now reviewing all budgets to see where exactly we need to invest money and what the costs will be.

    Can I ask you a favour? Northumbria Police recently introduced “Trauma Teddies” to help children who are in contact with the police at a difficult time. This could be following a traffic accident or when the police deal with domestic abuse incidences. Police hand the youngster a teddy, which offers reassurance and support. They have been so popular that we need more. A pattern has been uploaded on my website (www.northumbria-pcc.gov.uk)so if you could spare a few hours or if you know somebody who likes knitting who might, please let me know.

    Finally, I’ve no doubt that you will be thinking about the local elections. I’m always keen to help our hard working party members. I intend to be out and about across the five authorities where there are elections. Tell me your priority areas and I\’ll get there to work with you when I can and look forward to seeing you. My email address is (qc@verabaird-7in1ycowd9.live-website.com)

  • It’s been a busy year – but the work continues to put Northumbria first.

    Here we are – at the end of 2017, it’s unbelievable how quick the year has gone by! It’s certainly been a busy year with many demands.

    In a couple of weeks time, I will receive Northumbria’s funding settlement from government to provide policing in our region. As you know, our force has seen the government take more than £124 million from our budget since 2010 – any further cuts will have a devastating effect on the services we provide. I have lobbied the Home Secretary to urge her to put a fair funding deal on the table – she cannot expect council tax payers to pick up the cost for what the government should be funding. I have also written to all the regions MPs urging them to support my campaign to urge Amber Rudd to deliver what our region is entitled to – I’ll keep you posted on developments!

    Despite all these challenges our police officers and staff continue to go above and beyond what is expected of them, and this has been reinforced through a recent independent report which found Northumbria Police has a positive culture with an excellent understanding of the demand for the services provided

    Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) carried out its annual assessment and I’m delighted

    Northumbria received a ‘Good’ rating overall.

    In the three separate areas assessed at as part of the inspection, the force was rated ‘Good’ for understanding its demand, ‘Good’ for how well it uses its demand and ‘Good’ for how well the force is planning for the future.

    I will continue to ensure Northumbria Police has an excellent understanding of the demand for our services and improve even further the well-developed processes to uncover demand that is less likely to be reported.

    I’m under no illusions that it is our workforce that have enabled Northumbria to achieve this grade, I am immensely proud of all our staff and thank them for all their efforts.

    We will continue to invest in the priorities that matter to you and your family, I’m hoping that the funding settlement to be announced will allow me to do so. Neighbourhood policing remains a priority of mine – I have worked closely with the Chief Constable to squeeze every penny out of every pound to ensure we protect it.

  • Northumbria Police praised as ‘Good’ in latest inspection

    A POSITIVE culture with an excellent understanding of the demand for its services and solid financial plans – those are the findings of the latest independent report into Northumbria Police.

    Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) has carried out its annual assessment of how well police forces are managing finances and understanding demand.

    Forces were assessed against the overarching question ‘How efficient is the force at keeping people safe and reducing crime?’ with four possible ratings available; ‘outstanding’, ‘good’, ‘requires improvement’ and ‘inadequate’.

    Northumbria received a ‘Good’ rating overall.

    In the three separate areas assessed at as part of the inspection, the force was rated ‘Good’ for understanding its demand, ‘Good’ for how well it uses its demand and ‘Good’ for how well the force is planning for the future.

    The inspection found:

    • Northumbria Police has an excellent understanding of the demand for its services and has well-developed processes to uncover demand that is less likely to be reported

    • The force has recognised that demand for safeguarding vulnerable people has been increasing and has put extra resources into this area of policing

    • The force works hard to evaluate current internal demand so that any inefficiencies can be quickly spotted and dealt with

    • The leaders of Northumbria Police have created a culture in which the whole workforce feels that it can contribute ideas to improve the force. The force has created a very positive culture of openness

    • The force is investing heavily in information technology. It recognises the opportunities and threats from changes in technology

    • The financial plans for the force are detailed and it has solid plans for the future that have been tested and examined independently to ensure that they are fit for purpose

    The inspection found that an area for improvement is for the Force to explore new ways to identify talent and ensure individuals reach their full potential.

    Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Dame Vera Baird QC said: “Despite all the financial challenges policing faces, I am delighted that our force has been recognised for providing an efficient and well-managed service.

    “Neighbourhood policing is a priority of mine – I have worked closely with the Chief Constable to squeeze every penny out of every pound to ensure we protect it. Police officers are now closer to the communities they serve through the investment of new technology to keep officers engaging with local residents.

    “To provide neighbourhood policing we need a fair funding settlement. The Chief Constable and I have made clear to the Home Secretary what is needed for Northumbria – she now needs to deliver.

    “Finally, special thanks to all of our staff and officers who continue to go the extra mile, without them we could not achieve what we do.”

    Temporary Chief Constable of Northumbria Police, Winton Keenen, added: “This report is welcome news and is testament to all the hard work done on a daily basis by everyone in Northumbria Police.

    “Our force has received the biggest cut in government grant out of all police forces in England and Wales since 2010, a reduction of £123m from our revenue budget.

    “It is therefore, particularly pleasing that we have not only been recognised for having robust financial plans in place, but also that we are deemed fit for purpose when it comes to meeting the increasing demands put on our service.

    “However, we certainly won’t be complacent. Providing a high standard of service to people who need our help is our priority and we will continue to do everything we can to achieve that.”

  • Cost of meeting rising crime revealed by PCCs

    The cost of meeting the rise in crime whilst investing to stem that rise and protect the public has been revealed.

    Evidence gathered by PCCs and Police Chiefs shows that £440m extra is required in 2018/19 and £845m in 2019/20, an increase of 1.5% to 2% more than inflation in each year.

    The Home Office asked PCCs and Police Chiefs to assess levels of stretch and resilience in the service over the summer.

    The rise in funding would provide an additional 5,000 officers nationally to deal with increased local policing demands from new sorts of crime and increasing complexity, and an armed policing uplift of a further 1,100 officers.

    Dame Vera Baird said “Since 2012, we have seen police budgets reduce nationally by £2.3bn. Northumbria force has seen one of the biggest reductions out of all police forces (£123 million) in England and Wales. Locally, we have lost nearly 1,000 police officers and nationally the number of police officers on the streets have been reduced.

    Every year we continue to stretch the pound to ensure we squeeze out every penny. To protect frontline policing we have had to use reserves, this position is untenable.”

    PCCs and Chief Constables are at the forefront of demanding further investment from government and have bid for extra money – £440m next year, increasing to £845m in 2019/20. If successful, that would fund 5,000 new officers (in England and Wales) over the two-year period and an additional 1,100 armed officers to combat the immediate terrorist threat.

    The extra funding will also tackle newer, emerging crimes such as cybercrime, fraud and child sexual exploitation.

    Dame Vera added “I can assure local residents that I will continue to take the demand for a fair funding deal to the very heart of government.”

    The APCC and the NPCC have responded to a Home Office request to collate evidence from across all 43 police forces and associated agencies and assess levels of strain and resilience across the country.

    The request comes at a time when pressures on police time and resources are increasing. Whether it is from the increase in recorded crime, up by 13 per cent nationally this year, more complex crimes being committed and a growing terrorist threat, the police, more than ever, are being called on to respond.

    Police forces have been hit hard since the 2015 Spending Review as due to the change in demand, the current “flat cash” settlement for local forces, which does not insulate them from inflation or the recent changes in the national pay settlement, is no longer considered sufficient.

    Dame Vera added “Our police officers and staff do an incredible job, their commitment is second to none. When I was elected, I gave a commitment that neighbourhood policing was my priority and would be protected. I now need the government to give Northumbria a fair funding deal to ensure this commitment is honoured. The Home Secretary can hear a very loud, united voice from Police and Crime Commissioners and Chief Constables – she needs to act if police forces across England and Wales are to have the ability to deliver the key components of policing.”

    Fellow PCC, Paddy Tipping said “We believe that a lack of investment will lead to increases in crime and a reduction of police and state legitimacy.”

  • Neighbourhood policing – it’s my priority

    Following on from last month’s Vera’s views (www.northumbria-pcc.gov.uk), I wanted to focus further on neighbourhood policing.

    When I was elected as Police and Crime Commissioner for Northumbria, I gave a commitment that I would do everything I could to protect neighbourhood policing – it’s one of the most effective ways of ensuring local police officers and community support officers engage with residents across Northumbria. Towards the end of October, Norfolk Police revealed plans to scrap all Community Support Officers (CSOs) in light of funding cuts and changing crime trends.

    Despite Northumbria Police having received the biggest cut in government grant out of all police forces in England and Wales since 2010, a reduction of £123million from its revenue budget, I have squeezed every penny out of every pound to ensure we protect the services that matter to you and your family and I following Norfolk’s decision, I reiterated, my commitment and that of the Acting Chief Constable to maintain the number of CSOs in Northumbria.

    Neighbourhood policing remains a force priority and careful managing of the force budget means the force can maintain a visible presence on the streets. Our Community Support Officers do a fantastic job working with police officers and they are at the forefront of our neighbourhood policing model. Crime trends have changed but CSOs have an important role to play in combating complex crimes such as child sexual exploitation, modern day slavery and cyber-crime.

    I fully appreciate the difficult situation that Theresa May and Amber Rudd have put Norfolk Police in, especially as our force has been one of the worst hit by cuts to the police budget but we have been managing our budget very carefully to maintain a visible policing presence on our streets. For example, we have invested heavily in technology to ensure officers aren’t stuck behind desks but are out on the streets keeping our communities safe. We also changed our neighbourhood model and merged some sectors to take out levels of management and protect the number of officers on the ground.

    I am committed to working with the Chief Constable to manage our budget so we can protect front line policing but the thin blue line is already stretched to the limit. The Home Secretary needs to ensure a proper funding formula that is fair to Northumbria so we can continue providing a professional service to our local communities.

  • Lending support to national Anti-Slavery Day today

    The Commissioner, together with police and partners has been working together to tackle this important issue and wants to raise awareness of the scale of the problem that affects areas across the UK, including the north east.

    Tackling modern day slavery and human trafficking is a high priority for the force and forms part of Dame Vera’s Policing Plan. Through regional networks officers are working closely with colleagues from the National Crime Agency and the Immigration Service to share intelligence and act on it.

    Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Dame Vera Baird QC said: “I am pleased to see great moves forward in Northumbria’s response and understanding of modern day slavery through targeted operations like this year’s Operation Kestrel, which saw significant successes.

    “Through this work, we have been able to protect some of the most vulnerable people in our communities, supporting them through such facilities as Newcastle’s Victim Reception Centre.

    “However, there is still a great deal of work to be done, particularly in raising awareness. It’s important people realise that these offences can happen on our doorstep, right here in the North East, and we need to ensure people caught up in these terrible situations have access to the help and safety they need.”

    Anyone with concerns about crime and human trafficking where they live should contact their local neighbourhood policing team on 101.

  • POLICE & CRIME COMMISSIONER DEMANDS ACTION FROM HOME SECRETARY

    Leading Police and Crime Commissioner, Dame Vera Baird QC, has taken her demand for action to the very top of government.

    In a letter to the Home Secretary, Dame Vera has demanded that extra funding be made available to Northumbria Police for the 2% pay rise announced by government for police officers.

    The Government recently announced a lifting of the pay cap for police officers – but no cash to pay for it.

    Northumbria Police has received the biggest cut in government grant out of all police forces in England and Wales since 2010 – a reduction of £123 million from its revenue budget. This has lost Northumbria over 900 police officers and 923 police staff and PCSOs. The National Audit Office and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) have both made clear that Northumbria Police has been hit hardest of all England and Wales police forces through these financial cuts.

    Northumbria Police has budgeted for a 1% pay award across the board, to increase this by an extra 1% will cost £1.55 million – equal to 31 police officers and £0.5m for police staff and PCSOs – equal to a further 10 police officers.

    Dame Vera said: “Let me be absolutely clear, our hardworking officers and staff fully deserve a pay rise and I want to see this happen. The Government now needs to fund it. Police officers have told me they would rather decline a pay rise than lose further police officers. Cutting more officers is a very likely outcome, a ridiculous position which shouldn’t even be a consideration. In my letter I have set out the perilous financial position Northumbria Police has been put into by government cuts which, whatever they say, are continuing to this day. They speak about reserves deposited in police force bank accounts but we have tiny reserves- because we have had to play them in to manage these huge cuts.

    “I have set out the financial position and asked Amber Rudd how she suggests the force pays for a rise. We strongly suggest that she must pay for it.”

  • Dame Vera Baird welcomes national report on domestic abuse

    Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Dame Vera Baird QC, and a patron of Operation Encompass, which champions engagement with schools when a child is known to have experienced domestic abuse, yesterday, (Tuesday, 19 September) welcomed the findings of an Ofsted report which states professionals have made progress in responding to the large volume of cases of domestic abuse. However, she has echoed calls for prevention to be given equal priority moving forward.

    Inspectors from Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services, and HM Inspectorate of Probation carried out joint inspections of 6 areas in England. Their report, which evaluated the multi-agency response for children living with domestic concluded that the police and other agencies are often doing a good job to protect victims but too little is being done to prevent domestic abuse in the first place, and to repair the damage it causes afterwards.

    In some areas, improvements through the implementation of Operation Encompass, a national charity ran scheme for which Dame Vera is patron, have been highlighted in the report. The scheme is where police contact a school’s ‘key adult’ by 9am if a child has been involved in an incident of domestic abuse. Key adults are given training on how to effectively respond to this information. Operation Encompass is fully-rolled out through the Northumbria force area with great success and Dame Vera has previously called on the Government to take responsibility and ensure this effective information-sharing model is adopted by every police force, for every school, for every child.

    Dame Vera Baird QC said: “This report demonstrates some positive steps that are being made in how domestic abuse call-outs are responded to, and while Northumbria was not one of the areas inspected, I know considerable progress has been made in our area. We are leading the way in terms of information sharing and preventative work, and also in our work to support children and promote healthy relationships through a range of schemes and initiatives.

    “As the report states, the police can’t do this work alone. Partnership work is very strong here; there is a shared commitment with statutory partners and volunteer sector specialists across the region to ensuring victims of domestic abuse have access to the best support possible and through perpetrator programmes, early intervention work and multi-agency tasking and co-ordination (MATAC) processes, officers and partners are working hard to put a stop to appalling behaviours. Work must not stop at safeguarding victims and we recognise that.

    “This is all positive stuff, which Northumbria plans to build on, and our work has been recognised by the Home Office, which has recently awarded funding to help us expand our Whole System Approach (WSA) to tackling domestic abuse throughout neighbouring forces within the North East region. We want to be the best police force for tackling domestic abuse and it will remain a top priority for our officers.”