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

Category: ARTICLES

  • Tory “Summer of Discontent” – We need change NOW!

    The sun has certainly been blazing down – in the world of politics you could be forgiven for thinking this is Theresa May’s “Summer of Discontent” – she lost Boris from the Foreign Office, she lost David from the Brexit Office, her great plan for Brexit that she drew up at Chequers is now nigh on defunct and to add to her problems, she hosted Donald Trump and inflicted him on the Queen! There is a serious point to this – this government moves from crisis to crisis and is stumbling along at the behest of MPs like Jacob Rees Mogg, Tory politics at the moment reminds me of the final days of John Major’s government. We need to be on standby, I know the Labour Party is ready for whenever the General Election may be called, lets hope it is sooner rather than later.

    Towards the end of July the government announced it will raid the already under funded budgets of schools, hospitals, prisons, police services and armed forces for what amounts to a real terms pay cut for many of our public servants who work in them. The Tories continue to cut these services and the pay settlement that they announced will also mean further real terms pay cuts for our police officers, some teachers, doctors and dentists as inflation runs at 2.4%.

    The Government needs to get its act together when it comes to pay settlements – they need to be properly funded, Theresa May cannot expect me to raid what little reserves I hold for emergencies or headteachers to spend the full school budget with no room for contingencies. Let me say loud and clear, our police officers, police staff and all public servants deserve a pay rise and I want that to happen and the government needs to ensure they fund it by making the money available. The government have shown (again) that they don’t believe that officers are worthy of the recommendations of the independent pay review body, and the announcement is another real-terms cut to officers pay. I am annoyed that the Home Secretary is threatening yet more cutbacks to front line policing as he won’t pay for the increase.

    I will take this battle to the very heart of government, I will continue to do what ever I have to do to get the very best deal for our police officers and staff – however, on the past record of the Tory government I suspect not much will change. I had hoped that as the new Home Secretary’s brother is a senior police officer he knows the value of funding properly our police service.

    Our schools, prisons, hospitals and police have faced the brunt of Tory austerity, our public servants are over worked and under paid. Something has to change and I sincerley hope it will be a change of Prime Minister. Labour has committed to not accepting any pay deal that cuts the salaries of our public sector employees and starves the public services that we all rely upon of the funding they need. Labour’s manifesto at the last election pledged to end the cap and budgeted for above inflation pay increases for public sector workers. Under Labour, public sector pay will be set by genuinely independent pay review bodies or through collective bargaining.

    Our values are the right ones for our country, we need that General Electon to make it happen.

  • Google and others – need to get it right!

    It’s of great concern that internet providers such as Google are helping users uncover the identity of rape and sexual assault victims – who by law, have their anonymity protected for life.

    Here in the North East, a case involving footballer, Adam Johnson saw his victim named on social media, (at times assisted by Google algorithm which anticipates what a person is looking for) – this is a clear a breach of the law and social media / search engine companies need to be accountable for their actions, they need to be doing far more than they are to take down names and report offenders to the police. Twitter has the power to block certain names from appearing on their site and to take material down when instructed to do so by the Home Office – this is the sort of firm action that needs to be taken by providers of search engines and social media companies, however, they shouldn’t wait for an instruction from the Home Office, they should be ensuring that the law is adhered to on their platforms.

    We all have a role in ensuring that the anonymity law is respected by the media (in whatever format). During the Adam Johnson investigation, the former editor of the Sun newspaper was convicted of breaching the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act after a pixelated photograph of the victim was printed by the tabloid. No matter how pixelated the photograph, it is wrong for an editor to merely claim that he did not know he was committing an offence. The Judge correctly identified that it would have still been possible for the teenager to be identifiable by people familiar with her Facebook profile. Durham Police at the time said “ What Dinsmore did in the Sun was legally and morally wrong. As a victim of a sexual offence, the identity of this child should have been protected. Instead her picture, although pixelated, was plastered across a national tabloid. She was not fair game, she was a child who was groomed by a person in power for his own sexual gratification.”

    Alongside the photo incident, Facebook had been forced to remove a page set up in support of an appeal for Johnson – before it was taken down, it had received over a thousand likes and the page contained critical comments about the victim. I fully appreciate that this is a difficult crime to tackle, but something needs to be done. Complainants in sex offence cases have automatic lifelong anonymity and breaching this law currently brings with it a fine of up to £5000. However, this deals with the problem after the event, we need action when it happens.

    In 2012, a Juror was jailed for six months for discussing a trial, another example was where a man received a suspended jail term for tweeting images purporting to identify a man given life-long anonymity. We need the police to work much more closely with social media / search engine providers, as a society we want to embrace the good of the internet, but we must also be willing to address the harm that it brings. These cases are only the tip of the iceberg and nationally we need to take action. I have sent a copy of this article to the new Home Secretary to see how his department can support local police forces. We also need “buy in” from the likes of Twitter and Facebook – just because they are “hosted” outside this country doesn’t mean they are immune to UK law – if it can be read and shared in the United Kingdom they must adhere by our laws.

    Northumbria Police are committed to doing all they can to support victims. Now we need funding from central government to address what is in effect a “cyber-crime”.

    The Home Secretary also needs to present to Parliament proposals for stronger sentences against those who reveal victims’ names, the men who named the complainant in the Ched Evans case were ordered to pay £624 in compensation each, this weak judgement gives others confidence to break the law and we need to stop that.

  • 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.”

  • Backing lower drink drive limit

    PCC Vera Baird QC backs lower drink drive limit

    Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Vera Baird QC, is once again urging the Government to lower the national drink drive limit from 80mg to 50mg.

    Her calls for more action to save lives and improve road safety come following the release of figures by the Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) earlier this week, which reveal there are 240 deaths and 8,000 casualties as a result of drink driving every year. There has been no reduction in the number of fatalities since 2010.

    It is not only drunk drivers who are affected: 60% of those killed or injured in drink driving incidents are people other than the driver, such as passengers, pedestrians and cyclists.

    England and Wales have one of the highest drink drive limits in Europe, matched only by Malta, who recently announced that they will also be dropping their limit to 50gm. Scotland reduced its limit in 2014, and a new 50gm limit will come into effect in Northern Ireland this coming January.

    When Scotland lowered the drink driving limit, offences went down by 17% in the first three months alone.

    The Commissioner is joining the IAS along with a coalition of emergency services, road safety charities and health experts who are all calling for MPs to lower the limit.

    It is estimated that lowering the limit would also save £300 million annually, by reducing the cost to the police and ambulance services and cutting hospital admissions.

    Vera Baird QC, who is also Chair of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, said: “According to the IAS, reducing the limit to 50mg will save at least 25 lives per year. These figures speak for themselves and it’s about time the Government listened to them. If we can get this into law now, we know that many lives will be saved in the weeks, months and years ahead. I will continue campaigning and supporting the work of the IAS along with my fellow PCCs until the right thing is done.”

    Katherine Brown, Director at the Institute of Alcohol Studies, said: “Recent decades have seen great improvements in road safety, but progress on drink driving has ground to a halt. With hundreds of lives lost each year, we can’t afford to let England and Wales fall behind our neighbours in road safety standards.”

  • Vera Baird is backing Wear Red Day

    Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Vera Baird QC, and Chief Constable Steve Ashman, will be wearing something red this Friday (21, October) to support educational charity Show Racism the Red Card (SRtRC) as it marks its 20th anniversary of standing up to racism.

    They will be joined by officers and staff who will be backing the campaign by adding a touch of colour to their outfits with red items such as socks, shoe laces or scarves.

    ‘Wear Red Day’ is a national campaign that will see supporters from up and down the country dressing in red and donating a £1 to help raise funds to deliver education in schools on the impact of racism within football and society as a whole.

    PCC Vera Baird QC, who is also Chair of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, said: “Show Racism the Red Card is a great campaign which teaches children right and wrong with regards to racism – Wear Red Day gets my 100% support. It is my hope that through initiatives like this we can wipe out racism once and for all. I’m proud that the North East is a welcoming place, we will continue to work hard to tackle racism when it occurs”

    Chief Constable, Steve Ashman, said: “Northumbria Police wholeheartedly supports any initiative to combat racism and I hope to encourage anyone who is a victim of racism, or who witnesses a racist incident, to contact us so we can take firm action. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, hate crime in any form, is not acceptable and will not be tolerated by Northumbria Police.”

    For more information about the awareness day and ways to donate, visit http://www.srtrc.org/get-involved/WearRedDay