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

  • 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.”

  • Christmas Message from Vera Baird QC

    Christmas is an opportunity when most people get to spend time with their families and friends, we get to enjoy ourselves, reminisce about what has happened over the year and enjoy a mince pie or two! Sadly, criminals don’t take time off, that is why Northumbria Police has been sending known burglars Christmas cards – letting them know, we know where they are and what they are up to. Police officers and staff along with other emergency service staff will be working across the festive period and I am very grateful to them, as their efforts allow us to enjoy time with our families knowing that they are working to keep our communities safe.
    When you are out and about over the festive season and you see your local bobby on the beat – wish them a Merry Christmas, they’ll appreciate it.
    2015 has flown by, we have had many challenges but despite them all the Chief Constable and I have ensured that we have protected neighbourhood policing as I know this is a service you value. We have re-located police bases in to the heart of the community – right across Northumbria, making your police officers more accessible. We have continued to deliver for victims of crime, with satisfaction levels at 92%, this reinforces that we put victims of crime at the heart of everything we do. As Police & Crime Commissioner, I will start the new year looking at all budgets to see how we can absorb the cost of further cuts to our police budget – we can talk about that in a few weeks time.
    As I sign off, thank you for your continued support. Don’t forget to keep an eye out for a neighbour who may be on their own. Keep warm, secure and stay in touch.
    Merry Christmas and best wishes for 2016

    Vera

    Vera Baird QC

  • Remarkable U-turn forced on government by PCCs.

    Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Vera Baird, commenting on today’s Spending Review in which the Chancellor agreed to protect police funding in real terms over the next four years said:

    “This is a remarkable u turn. Only a few days ago sources close to the Chancellor showed him determined to cut policing by up to 25% again, giving rise to fear that we would lose much of the neighbourhood policing our public values so highly.

    “A concerted campaign by police and by Police and Crime Commissioners of both major political parties, heavily supported by the public has made George Osborne quickly come to terms with the post-Paris reality. It would have been the height of irresponsibility to slash funding causing the loss of thousands more police, on top of the 17000 already lost nationwide at a time when the French are increasing their force by 5000 officers. More police not less are needed if we are to prevent and, if the unthinkable happens, to cope with the kind of scattered but co-ordinated attacks we saw in Paris and Mali in the last two weeks

    “As ever the devil is in the detail. A letter from the Home Secretary this afternoon says that there will actually be a small cut of 1.3% over four years. It also indicates no funding to pay for the increase in cash for counter-terrorism announced, nor for the pledged enhancement to mobile communications, nor to fund collaborative back office savings. That suggests that these funds will be sliced off the top of our cash once it has been received. This could well mean less cash for local policing after all.

    “We will know Northumbria’s share of this funding in December. We really deserve a larger share than we currently receive. Following the government’s failure to complete a new funding allocation formula, our next challenge will be to make sure that we get that extra share and not the reduction of £16M which their latest proposal – now abandoned – would have led to.

    “Meanwhile it is good that Osborne has listened and while there are still cuts to be made from the last budget reductions, Northumbria Police will be sufficiently funded to continue the excellent job it does to protect the public.”

  • 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.