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

  • PCC Vera Baird says In Northumbria sex abuse complainants will be believed as all other complainants are

    Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Vera Baird, is in complete disagreement with Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan Howe who has suggested that police should not believe sex abuse complainants, in contrast to the way every other complainant is dealt with.

    He has said: \”There is a grave danger at the moment with the advice that is around that there is a tendency to always believe any complaint that is made and that\’s not wise for any good investigator.\”

    Vera Baird said: “The Met Commissioner has been criticised for the investigations into two peers whose names were published at an early stage before there can have been evidence to justify a charge, because no charges were ever brought. The key problem was the irresponsible, presumably glory-seeking, publication of their names, not that complaints should not be believed in sexual abuse cases in the same way that a burglary victim is believed and their complaint investigated.

    “Thousands of victims of sexual abuse have been denied justice through the attitude the Met Commissioner now advocates. Sexual abuse is extremely difficult to report, because of its intimate nature and its undermining impact on victims. They have to be told that police will not doubt them as they have habitually done in the past but will believe them as they do in any other kind of complaint, ensure that they get support and investigate the case thoroughly.

    \”In Northumbria we have been judged highly for our investigation of sexual exploitation and domestic abuse. We intend to continue to rely on what complainants say and to give them support. We will investigate thoroughly, not rushing to publicise inappropriately, simply doing a thorough policing job to determine whether a case should go forward to the CPS. We encourage any person who is suffering from any kind of crime to come forward to report it and they will get help.”

  • David Cameron a man of many words and little action

    David Cameron has today said that prison reform has been a “scandalous failure” for years and has pledged  to make it the “great progressive cause” of politics.  Ironically, the Prime Minister has expressed the same concerns nearly a decade ago when in 2007 he said that prison reform was one of the key planks of his “central mission”.

    Northumbria’s Police & Crime Commissioner, Vera Baird QC said “I’m very sceptical about what David Cameron has to say on prison reforn, he tends to re-hash his words every year and then deliver nothing.  The failures that he condemns are his own – since the Tories entered Downing Street in 2010 we have seen over stretched prison staff dealing with violence and overcrowding”.

    We have seen these problems first hand in our region.  Last year, HMP Northumberland was branded “shambolic” by campaign group the Howard League for Penal Reform, has seen massive staffing cuts and prison officers have raised concerns about safety over staff levels and growing unrest among inmates.  Staff levels dropped from 441 in 2010 to 270 in 2013.

    The former Chief Inspector for Prisons in England and Wales, Nick Hardwick, has told Cameron and his government that action needs to be taken. Hardwick made it clear to ministers that a 69% rise in self-inflicted deaths in jails is unacceptable in a civilised society and he warned that the public were being put at risk by a “political and policy failure in jails”.

    Since Hardwick took up his post in 2010, he has published a series of increasingly damning reports documenting the depth of the growing crisis inside jails in England and Wales. His reports have also highlighted the growing toll of prison suicides and a rising tide of violence behind bars.

    Vera Baird said “I commend Nick Hardwick for the issues he has raised over the years, if it had not been for his leadership things would be a lot worse than they already are.  There is no getting away from it, David Cameron should hang his head in shame.  Despite his promises, Cameron hasn’t tackled the drug abuse in prisons, he hasn’t tackled the problems that privatisation of prisons has caused  and he hasn’t tackled the violence, squalor and idleness that the Chief Inspector of prisons referred to in his Annual Report 2014-15”.

    Mrs Baird added “Nick Hardwick has tried his best to convince the government to take action, it’s a pity his findings fell on deaf ears.  Now is the time for Cameron and Gove to buck up and get this problem sorted.  Labour has long called for governors of successful prisons to be given greater autonomy and for prisons to become more rehabilitative – something the government is now suggesting, but given Cameron’s failures since 2007, I’m not confident that he will succeed”.

  • Keeping cops on the beat.

    The Police and Crime Panel for Northumbria have unanimously approved the Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner’s proposed increase to the police precept (the police element of the council tax) of 10p per week for a band D property. The Chief Constable confirms that this figure which is £5 per year will enable him to retain 100 officers over the spending review period of four years.

    Following public consultation, which was mainly complimentary about the police and supportive of the rise, Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Vera Baird QC, said:

    “Despite Chancellor Osborne saying that he was not cutting funding to police, the only way in which that is true is if every PCC in the country raises their precept by the maximum amount possible. The Government is telling the ten police forces with the lowest police precept to increase by the sum of £5 per band D house per year and Northumbria is one of those forces.

    “The Chief Constable and I are determined to keep officers on the street and preserve high standards of policing, and as your Commissioner, I’m left with no choice but to raise the precept to ensure the police have the resources to cut crime and continue delivering excellent neighbourhood policing for the people of Northumbria.

    “Northumbria has the lowest police precept in the country at £88.33.  The National Audit Office agrees with me that we have suffered the worst cuts out of all 43 forces in England and Wales. Since 2009 we have lost almost 900 police officers and hundreds of staff due to those Government cuts.  We will still have to lose more because there are still cuts, albeit some of them are hidden and labelled ‘top-slicing’.

    “The figure of £2.05m which will be raised by increasing the precept by 10p a week, £5 a year, will not replace those funding cuts but our funding will be significantly less without it and the Chief Constable tells me that 100 more officers would have to go if I do not make this increase.

    “This money will be invested to benefit the communities served by Northumbria Police, keeping 100 officers on the streets and helping to preserve high policing standards and the force’s national reputation for victim satisfaction.

    “The Chancellor did not consult either me or the public before dictating this course of action but we have asked the public for their views and I am pleased to say that most responses accepted the need to keep officers on the beat and expressed the view that 10p a week is a very small increase to pay for that security.”

    Councillor Gary Haley, Chair of the Northumbria Police and Crime Panel, said: “Local residents have made it very clear that they want to keep officers on the streets and the clear steer from Government has been that the local residents should pick up the tab for their withdrawal of funding. At a time of swingeing cuts from the Government who have been using an out of date funding formula, the Commissioner has been left with no choice but to raise the precept in order to protect police numbers and help keep our local communities safe.”

  • Vera Baird urges Home Secretary to take action.

    Following news that American blogger Daryush Valizadeh known as Roosh V has organised rallies in various cities across the world this weekend, including Newcastle, Northumbria’s Police & Crime Commissioner, Vera Baird QC, has written to the Home Secretary, Theresa May, urging her to ban Roosh V from entering the United Kingdom.

    Valizadeh is urging people who share his extreme anti-female views, which include that rape on private property should be legal and that women should not be able to vote, to meet in Newcastle on Saturday.

    Vera Baird said “Valizadeh views are abhorrent and not something that we want in Newcastle.  He has produced videos described as ‘ thinly veiled guides to rape’ by those who have seen them. He needs to receive a loud and clear message that he is not speaking for Newcastle and that the police will arrest and prosecute any actions or words amounting to incitement or encouragement to sexual assault or which might be hate crime”

    Mrs Baird added “The Home Secretary can ban people from entering the United Kingdom, a number of people who have fostered hatred have been banned from our country.  The UK Border Agency can turn someone away if they feel a persons “character, conduct or associations” would not be “conducive to the public good”, Valizadeh clearly fits this criteria – so if he is thinking of coming to the United Kingdom this weekend, the Home Secretary and UK Border Agency have grounds to refuse him entry”.

    A spokesperson for Northumbria Police said: “We want to reassure residents in Newcastle after media coverage has appeared in recent days in relation to the ‘Return of the Kings event’ that is proposed to take place in the city on Saturday night. Our view, along with every other reasonable person, is that everything this group stands for is abhorrent and there is no place for it in our city.

    “We will have extra officers on patrol in the area around Greys Monument on Saturday evening to reassure members of the public and monitor what, if any, activity takes place. We will deal with any incidents swiftly and will not tolerate any acts that incite or encourage individuals to commit criminal offences. Newcastle is a safe, diverse and welcoming city and we will not allow the actions of a very small minority to jeopardise this.”

  • WINNER – Living Wage Leadership Award 2015

    Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Vera Baird, has been chosen as the winner of the Living Wage Leadership Award 2015 for the North East region.

    The Living Wage Foundation organise these awards to recognise the life changing impact individuals have made by leading the way on the Living Wage Campaign within communities.

    The awards are part of Living Wage Week 2015, a national celebration of responsible pay for everybody, running from 1st – 7th November.

    Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Vera Baird, said: “In the current economic climate it is imperative that we do everything we can to help lower paid workers as they face rising living costs. That is why I made it one of my commitments when elected to ensure we pay the Living Wage and we achieved this by bringing the cleaning contract back “in house” so we could pay them the Living Wage.

    “I have always been a strong advocate of the Living Wage and will continue to be, I’m proud to be a champion of this initiative and I am delighted to receive this award.”

    The Living Wage Foundation wants to celebrate the huge and diverse group of people who support the Living Wage Campaign.

    Beth Farhat, Regional Secretary for the Northern TUC said: “Congratulations to Vera and well deserved too, one of Vera’s first commitments as police and crime commissioner was make sure that the lowest paid in her workforce received the living wage, making a real difference to the quality and wellbeing of peoples lives.  Thank you very much for championing the Living Wage.”

    Living Wage Foundation Acting Director, Sarah Vero, said: “Congratulations to Vera on being named the Leadership Award winner for the North East region. The voices of people are at the heart of our organisation, and it is wonderful to have Vera leading the way in her region. We want to celebrate the individuals making a real difference to families and communities across the UK. Thank you very much for celebrating the Living Wage.”

    The Living Wage is an hourly rate set independently and updated annually. The Living Wage is calculated according to the basic cost of living using the ‘Minimum Income Standard’ for the UK. Decisions about what to include in this standard are set by the public; it is a social consensus about what people need to make ends meet.

    Vera Baird QC – Living Wage Leadership Award Winner 2015.

    Employers choose to pay the Living Wage on a voluntary basis. The Living Wage enjoys cross party support.

    One Leadership Award winner has been named in each region of the UK: Scotland; Wales; Northern Ireland; the East Midlands; the West Midlands; the East of England; Yorkshire and the Humber; North East England; North West England; South East England; South West England; and London.

    The awards judged by an independent panel of community leaders from Citizens UK, national community organising charity and home of the Living Wage campaign.

  • ‘Surrender your Knife’

    Three regional Forces are joining together to raise awareness of the dangers of knife-related crime and ensure we all stay safe.

    Northumbria, Cleveland, and Durham Police are working with the ‘Surrender a knife’ organisation to encourage the surrender of knives which may otherwise be used in crime throughout the next two weeks.

    The British Ironwork Centre is also supporting the campaign by providing secure knife bins across the country which can be used by anyone to deposit knives or other bladed/pointed weapons.

    Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Vera Baird, said: “While we are fortunate that we don’t have the same knife problem here in Northumbria as in some areas of the country; one knife carried is one knife too many.

    “That’s why we’re coming together as a region to support this national campaign and demonstrate our commitment to public safety.

    “In the wrong hands a knife can be a deadly weapon and this initiative will let people who want to dispose of a knife do so safely.

    “It’s great to be joining up with my fellow commissioners to take a proactive approach to keep knives off our streets and our region safe.”

    Detective Chief Inspector Helena Barron understands there isn’t a knife crime culture or issue within Northumbria but believes raising awareness is critical to keeping knife crime to a minimum.

    DCI Barron said: “We continue to use a combination of education, prevention and enforcement to ensure that knife crime in the force remains low.

    “As well as taking tough enforcement action we’re carrying out reassurance work in the community. We will continue to visit schools, retailers and other partners to educate people about knife crime and, over the next few weeks, we will be taking the opportunity to highlight some of this valuable work.

    “I’d like to reiterate that we don’t have the same scale of problem as other parts of the country, but we know there are public concerns and this initiative is primarily about addressing those concerns.

    “People who carry knives are just as much at risk of harming themselves as well as others, and they are also at risk of being arrested, charged to court, and possibly sent to prison.

    “As part of the campaign we will be providing disposal bins in stations for members of the public to come along and voluntarily dispose of any knives they may be in possession of.”

    There will be bins allocated to the following police stations in Northumbria:

    Central

    Forth Banks

    Gateshead

    Northern

    Middle Engine Lane

    Hexham

    Bedlington

    Southern

    Millbank

    Southwick

    Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland, Barry Coppinger said:  “We are proud to support this national initiative which will help to raise awareness about the damage and destruction that knives can cause. Over the next two weeks members of the public will have the opportunity to surrender knives safely and anonymously.   Removing knives from our streets will help protect our communities and provide a safer environment for the whole area.

    Ron Hogg, Durham’s Police and Crime Commissioner, is supporting the amnesty. He said: “This is an ideal opportunity for residents who have unwanted knives in their household, to dispose of them in a safe and responsible way. I encourage residents to use the knife bins during the amnesty, available at various police stations across County Durham and Darlington.”

  • Challenges Facing Policing.

    When the House of Commons returns, one of the first jobs MPs will have to do is to respond to George Osborne’s proposed cuts of up to 40% to government departments. If the Home Office is faced with a 40% cut to its budget, it will have devastating effects on how we police Northumbria. Be under no illusion, the decisions taken by the Chancellor will impact on how we police. Since 2010, the Tories have removed nearly £120 million from the Police budget, this has resulted in 16% fewer police officers than in 2010 and 25% less police staff.

    Policing is more than just catching criminals – Theresa May seems to think because crime is falling, it is perfectly acceptable to cut police budgets. WRONG! Here in our region, on a typical day officers deal with over 200 Anti-Social Behaviour incidences and 81 cases of domestic abuse, police officers are call to respond to approximately 26 incidences involving people with mental health issues, 40 road traffic collisions, helping find over 20 missing people and dealing with over 42 stop and searches. All of these examples are more than catching criminals – they are jobs that our police staff do day in day out, sadly the Home Office don’t appreciate these important tasks and continue to focus on one part of the many duties of a police officer.

    There are nearly 1.5 million residents in the Northumbria force area. I work closely with the Chief Constable, Steve Ashman, to ensure we get it right. Despite the financial difficulties, police officers and staff continue to go the extra mile to serve local communities. There efforts are recognised by residents as overall satisfaction remains high, and the force is placed first nationally for ease of contact (98.8%), follow up (88.8%) and over service is (92.2%). If we get it wrong, we now have a dedicated triage team who can help deal with any issues that are raised within a matter of a few hours. We really do keep the public at the heart of everything we do.

    The priorities in the Police & Crime Plan are just as important now, as they were when you helped shaped them at the beginning of 2013. Northumbria Police have worked hard to address them. HMIC acknowledged that how Northumbria Police deal with Anti-Social Behaviour is outstanding. The force works closely with partners to tackle issues head on and ensure that all vulnerable victims receive extra support. Initiatives such as working in partnership with housing providers to tackle youth ASB has paid dividends. Anti-Social Behaviour remains high on our agenda and will continue to do so. I want all crimes to be reported, if you are experiencing Anti-Social Behaviour – REPORT IT. If the police know about it, they will tackle it.

    Our work in addressing Violence Against Women and Girls continues to go from strength to strength. Domestic and sexual abuse happens mostly behind closed doors meaning that it is something of a hidden crime. Therefore it’s vitally important to raise awareness of what domestic abuse is, what help and support is available for those suffering from it, and making it easier for victims to contact someone to get help. We are delivering this with partners and will continue to do so.

    Due to financial pressures on the force, I have had to look at ensuring our police bases offer excellent value for money, whilst being in convenient locations and accessible. The new police base in the White Swan Centre, Killingworth, is an excellent example of this. We have brought the police to the heart of the community and the neighbourhood teams maintain the excellent relationships they have built up with residents. I continue to look for savings right across the board, you may have seen a recent report by the Taxpayers Alliance, that my office has made the biggest cost savings (compared to the cost of the former police authority) out of all Police & Crime Commissioners – to date, in excess of £3 million has been saved, just from my office costs alone.

    I can assure you that I will continue to work with all partners to ensure Northumbria receives the best deal possible. It’s a tough challenge – but I’m determined that the priorities you set in the police and crime plan are delivered and exceeded.

  • Trade Union Bill.

    Trade Union Bill
    18th September 2015

    A few days ago, Parliament debated the Trade Union Bill. I expressed my grave reservations that the Bill gives the regulator (the certification officer) powers to impose fines on unions of up to £20,000 and would involve the police in dealing with union requests.

    As the government continue to cut the budgets of police services across England and Wales, they are pushing ahead and consulting on ludicrous plans contained within the Trade Union Bill. I want local police officers out on the streets of Northumbria doing what they do best – protecting and supporting our communities, not arresting someone because unions haven’t given two weeks’ notice if they intend to use a loudspeaker or carry a banner during a strike

    The world of Twitter, Facebook and blogs is to allow people to express their opinions freely, as long as the comments are not defamatory, why do the police need to know what unions are planning to post on social media during a strike two weeks in advance is a waste of police time

    Since 2010, Northumbria Police force budget has been reduced by nearly £120 million, yet the demand of police officers and support staff continue to grow. It is expected that the Chancellor will announce even further cuts to the force budget in a few weeks’ time.

    The Prime Minister and Home Secretary need to get real. Attacking civil liberties and creating more unnecessary work for the police is not needed. MPs need to vote this bill down when it reaches the House of Commons for its second reading. Police Officers here in Northumbria have better things to do than use valuable time and resources to supervise peaceful pickets and social media.

  • Commissioner Baird speaks out on helping victims of domestic abuse

    Domestic abuse is not usually a one-off violent attack. More often it is a deliberate long-term use of coercion to control every part of someone’s life, It can be sexual abuse, financial control, constant criticism, isolation from family and friends, repeated threatening texts or stalking whenever the victim is out of sight – all are familiar tools adopted by the abuser. It undermines the victims confidence and freedom and it can leave long-term scars.

    Despite people knowing more about it these days, according to research by the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB), 84 per cent of people surveyed do not feel able to help when they know someone is suffering from domestic abuse.

    The research also reveals that 31 per cent of British adults questioned knew a victim – maybe you do.

    While the CAB’s ‘Link in the chain’ report is right in acknowledging the role friends and family play in recognising that someone is suffering behind closed doors, the responsibility to help doesn’t just fall on those who are personally close to the victim, after all, they may be personally close to the perpetrator too.

    For this reason, we have looked for places, away from the family and home, where it might be possible to make help more available and have realised that the workplace is somewhere that many victims of abuse can see as a safe haven. On average we spend a third of our lives at work, there is therefore a huge opportunity for colleagues to pick up on the signs during what for many victims are the hours of respite from their suffering and where people might feel secure enough to talk to a friend or a colleague or ask for help.

    In Northumbria we have developed a draft workplace employers’ policy has been set up, ready off the shelf, which has been adopted by many organisations. It sends out clear signs that they will help any employee who is suffering from abuse and that they have all practical steps to support employees firmly in place.

    As part of this, we introduced the concept of a network of Domestic Violence Champions within each workplace, large or small. These champions, who are workplace colleagues, are there for men and women to confide in, or share concerns about others who they think may be suffering from domestic abuse. The champion, who receives full training, can then offer advice on the support available both within the organisation and from partner agencies. They are not expected to solve the problem themselves but calmly give ‘first aid’ and help to refer them on to skilled help. So far over 600 champions have been trained.

    One champion arranged with their employer for a victim’s calls to be screened, emails to be blocked and photos of the abuser left with reception so he could be recognised and appropriate steps taken. Someone now a successful businesswoman tells how her employer got to know of her plight with a determined abuser and secretly arranged to relocate her to a distant branch of the business; she regards this as likely to have saved her life. And every time a champion is trained it is another person raising public awareness of what this abuse is like.

    We can provide free training to raise awareness of domestic abuse and the impact it can have on individuals to employers and employees. Those who take this up have already seen results like the ones I have mentioned. Do join our efforts; this is everyone’s business and a little knowledge and support can make all the difference to the life of a victim who thought they were friendless.

  • Male Victims of Domestic Violence Supported by Commissioner Funding

    More male victims of domestic abuse will receive help and support following funding from Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Vera Baird.

    Commissioner Baird has awarded £2,000 to Community Counselling Cooperative from her Supporting Victims Fund – a fund set up and made available to organisations that have the aim of helping victims cope and recover from their experience of crime.

    The not for profit organisation understands there’s a need for therapeutic support for male victims of domestic abuse. With this in mind, it wants to provide further support by seeing more male victims both for one to one therapeutic work as well as peer support groups.

    Community Counselling Cooperative also wants to increase awareness that men can also be victims of domestic abuse and that they too require support and advice which isn’t readily available in the area.

    The work carried out by the group so far has found male victims who have been physically beaten and financially abused as well as emotionally and psychologically targeted.

    It aims to provide emotional and psychological support to victims and information to give them options and choices; support victims through the criminal justice system and ensure they have an exit strategy at the end of the project.

    They hope to provide support to as many male victims in the area as possible using a team of trained and qualified therapists.

    Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Vera Baird said: “There’s lots of help and support out there for female victims of domestic abuse but it has to be acknowledged that there is far less provision for male victims.

    “Because of this, it may be assumed there isn’t a need for this service for men, however this isn’t the case.

    “It’s so important that people understand that men can be victims of domestic abuse and do need help and support. Many men may suffer in silence thinking they won’t be believed or fearful of breaking the cycle of abuse and leaving a relationship for reasons such as not seeing their children again.

    “That’s why it’s essential we have groups like Community Counselling Cooperative who, in one year, aim to give 15 men access to one to one counselling and 20 men to be part of one or two peer support groups.

    “I hope the funding I’ve given the group will help them in this aim.”

    Simon Campbell, Director of Community Counselling Cooperative, said: “The Male Survivors of Domestic Abuse project is very pleased with the support that Vera Baird has given us.

    “Financially this enables us to really map out the extent of the problem in the region – as well as provide the therapeutic support to reduce the distress that this abuse causes.

    “Moreover by backing our project the Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner is making a big, bold statement: Domestic abuse is a serious issue and can affect anyone at anytime.”

    For more information on the Community Counselling Cooperative visit communitycounsellingcooperative.co.uk