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: BLOG

  • North East PCCs call to reduce the breathalyser limit

    Today, the government has announced a number of measures to improve road safety – but miss out one important factor, reducing the limit. The three North East PCCs welcome any initiative that will help make our roads safer, but Commissioner Baird, along with her colleagues, Ron Hogg, PCC for Durham and Barry Coppinger, PCC for Cleveland have reinforced their call for the government to lower the drink drive limit.

    Dame Vera Baird said “Scotland have already lead the way in reducing the drink drive limit to 50mg and it has had a real positive effect. In the first three months of the new limit, offences went down by 17%. If the government really want to make our roads safer, new legislation to reduce the drink drive limit will achieve this”

    Commissioner Hogg added “The three PCCs for the North East are determined to do all that we can to make our roads safer – we will continue to work in partnership to encourage government to take the common sense approach of reducing the limit that will make our roads safer”.

    Cleveland’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Barry Coppinger said “Lowering the limit would save an estimated £300 million nationally every year, by reducing the cost of the police and ambulance services and cutting hospital admissions. This money could be reinvested back in to our emergency services”

    The three North East Police and Crime Commissioners will continue to lobby government, encouraging them to take the common sense approach of reducing the drink drive limit to ensure safety on our roads

  • Commissioner Baird calls on Home Secretary to take lead from Scottish Government

    Labour MSPs have successfully ensured that the Scottish Government will hold an independent review into the actions of the police during the miners’ strike in Scotland.

    Dame Vera Baird QC, Police and Crime Commissioner for Northumbria who was one of the barristers defending northern miners in the Orgreave Trial and who also acted in many other cases has given her support to the Scottish Government, and reiterated her call for the new Home Secretary to get a grip and order an inquiry into Orgreave and police conduct there, and in the many hundreds of other cases in which miners were prosecuted during the strike. An IPCC investigation found that there were many issues to pursue, which were, in effect, too big for their remit and those findings have never been taken on by the government. The former Home Secretary dismissed calls for a public inquiry with no reasoning to justify it and to the pain of the many families who still feel the effects of their loved ones having undergone often lengthy periods under threat of charges carrying life or very long sentences

    Back in May 2016, Dame Vera urged the then Home Secretary, Theresa May, to put in place a structure to ensure an honest, open and transparent investigation.

    Today, Dame Vera said “The Scottish Government has taken a proper and wise decision to launch a review to establish if the arrests and convictions were unjust and politically motivated. This is exactly the same reasons why many have argued for an independent inquiry into the brutal clashes between police and miners during the strike in 1984, not least at Orgreave where so many questions still need to be answered.

    The damage done to Scottish and Orgreave miners, most of whom had never been involved with the criminal justice system before devastated not only their lives, but those of their families’ too while also scarring pit communities until this day”.

    Dame Vera added “The new Home Secretary can right the wrongs of his Tory predecessors, by getting justice for the miners of Orgreave and other cases. He needs to authorise the release of papers to allow Orgreave to be fully resolved. This is a situation in which Scotland is leading in the right way and the Westminster Government should share that governments understanding of the abiding sense of injustice which prevails and should follow suit

    Dame Vera added “This is a simple task, and the Home Secretary should action the independent review for the files to be released as a matter of urgency”.

  • 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.

  • Article for North Tyneside BaNTer. Printed 26th April 2018.

    After months of hard work, delivering election literature and newsletters in all sorts of weather, polling day is nearly here. Across North Tyneside we have outstanding Labour candidates in every ward, putting across a strong message that a Labour council really does make a difference. You only have to look at the regeneration schemes underway, the improvements in school standards and the extra support to elderly and vulnerable people – such services don’t just happen, they happen because it is Labour beliefs and values held by our councillors that make sure every resident of North Tyneside receives a “fair deal” against a backdrop of Conservative cuts.

    The choice is clear on May 3rd – keep taking North Tyneside forward with a Labour Council or backwards with broken local Tory promises. I hope that you will spend the last few days of the campaign urging your friends and family to support their local Labour candidate.

    This year is the 100th anniversary of the first women gaining the vote in the United Kingdom – of course female political progress is longer and more interesting than just 1918 and Labour has been at the forefront of many special occasions. In 1907, the Labour Party backed universal suffrage, in the same year the qualification of Women Act allowed widows and unmarried women the right to stand anywhere in local government. We salute those elected, which included Sophia Merivale in Oxford, Edith Sutton in Reading and Elizabeth Garrett Anderson in Aldeburgh – it’s amazing to think that rules were in place to stop single women and widows from partaking in the political process. The political career of Elizabeth Garrett Anderson would never have come about if it wasn’t for the Act – she was an incredible women, she was the first woman to qualify in Britain as a physician and surgeon, co-founded the first hospital staffed by women, became a dean of a British Medical School and the first female doctor of medicine in France – and to top off all those achievements she was also the first female magistrate in Britain. Quite an achievement and I’m delighted that her talent was also recognised in local government. The family talent continues to be recognised, just last week in Parliament Square, a statue to honour Elizabeth’s sister, Millicent Fawcett was unveiled. Millicent campaigned for the suffrage – her statue is the first woman ever there. Today of the eight political parties, four have women leaders and Parliament has the first female Black Rod in 650 years. Right across politics, women are making a difference and I’ve been honoured to celebrate past and current achievements by women as part of the 100th anniversary, both locally and nationally. Let’s make it a real celebration in North Tyneside, by encouraging as many women (and men) to support their Labour candidate. I want to see as many Labour councillors returned to North Tyneside Council as possible on May 3rd, supporting the brilliant elected Mayor, Norma Redfearn.

    In relation to policing, a couple of weeks ago it was National Stalking Awareness week and I promoted the great work that is happening here in Northumbria to support victims of this crime. As well as the traditional stalking, many victims endure cyber stalking and are in abusive relationships with partners who are monitoring their behaviour. Some of this monitoring may be very obvious – such as when a victim is forced to hand over their mobile to have their texts or social media posts checked.

    Here in Northumbria, we’ve been working hard and are determined to lead the way and provide best service to victims. I secured funding from the Home Office VAWG transformation fund and in January 2018 this allowed Northumbria Police created a domestic abuse cyber stalking and harassment team.

    The Northumbria team is designed to help victims – both men and women – specifically of domestic abuse who are being abused and harassed by technological means. Initially operating on an 18 month pilot basis, they will be dealing with cases in the Sunderland area but also providing advice and guidance to officers in South Tyneside where cyber stalking is a feature of the case. The initiative also brings together a rape and domestic violence detective with cyber investigation specialists and we have recruited from our great local organisation Wearside Women in Need, an Independent Domestic Violence Advisor, who supports the victim, making sure everything is done in accordance with what she wants and provides civil assistance. Each morning the police team will check ALL domestic abuse reported incidents since they were last on duty for any elements of cyber stalking. This is to ensure that all potential lines of enquiry are being maximised in investigation. The detectives will use forensic analysis of social media, email and other online communications to identify patterns of behaviour, ultimately helping to safeguard victims from coming to further harm.

    My message to victims is do not hesitate to report this kind of crime – Cyber harassment is no less frightening and can be just as threatening as physical stalking. If you know anyone affecting by stalking – please urge them to report it to the police. Specially trained officers are one hand to offer support.

    As I sign off, good luck over the next few days. Make every vote count for Labour.

  • 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.”