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

Tag: Northumbria Police

  • Brexit needs the best deal possible, not a no deal!

    As the dark nights start to draw in, I think the Prime Minister will be having many dark days – wondering how to control her rebels over Brexit. The government are making a monumental hash up of this process, it is stumbling from crisis to crisis and as they do this they are failing to see the bigger picture and the damage they are doing to communities across our region.

    In relation to policing, the Home Secretary needs to get a grip and start ensuring the various vital cooperation tools / mechanisms enabling the UK and the EU police forces to work together to prevent and tackle crime and threats to regional and national security are in place. He also needs to address the potential impact on the future incompatibility between EU and UK laws and the rights the UK could lose by falling out of the EU’s jurisdiction and legal framework. We need continued use of shared law enforcement databases and EU arrest warrants which have assisted Northumbria Police on many occasions, nationally last year 1,735 arrests were made in the UK and more than 10,000 people have been extradited since 2004. In 2017 the Schengen Information System (SIS) which is a European database used by the police to search for terrorist suspects, missing people and to check vehicle registrations and passport details was checked nearly 540 million times by police officers in the UK – it’s imperative that the Home Secretary and his department ensure that these services are still available to Northumbria Police after March 2019. Northumbria Police plays a vital role in national security and the safety of the public in our region and we can’t allow the good work police officers and staff undertake be put in jeopardy if the government doesn’t get its act together to ensure detailed arrangements are in place – we work with partners to tackle crime such as human trafficking and serious organised crimes and police officers need the tools to get the job done, not Boris and his cronies fighting for the next media headline.

    Theresa May now needs to move away from accepting a possible “no deal” outcome on Brexit, as this will cause chaos and confusion for policing and security services. She has a duty to deliver the best deal possible that will ensure the continued safety of residents. We are fast approaching March 2019 and policing needs considerable additional resources at a local and national level for policing to operate using non-EU services, and in all reality, whatever is put in place to deal with a no-deal outcome will be an inferior standard to what is already in place. It is hoped that the government and EU will have agreed terms for leaving by October – that’s very optimistic as there is a great more deal work to be done.

    I agree fully with Richard Martin, deputy assistant commissioner at the Metropolitan police and the NPCC lead on Brexit, when he said “it is in the interests of both sides to negotiate an arrangement that allows for continued close working, whether as part of existing mechanisms or negotiated alternatives. Without such arrangements, both UK police and EU member states will lose capabilities including identifying criminals and missing persons who cross our borders, detaining and swiftly surrendering suspects under EAWs, quickly identifying previous history of offending or the sharing biometric data”

    There is a job to be done, Theresa May needs to get on with it and I stand with other Labour Police and Crime Commissioners across England and Wales demanding it is done with the interests of safety and delivering effective policing running through the heart of any deal.

  • 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.”

  • 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

  • PCC Vera Baird – delighted Wildlife Crime Unit has been saved from closure

    Vera Baird SBE KC

    Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Vera Baird has expressed delight at news that the UK’s specialist unit for wildlife law enforcement will continue, following a successful national campaign to prevent its closure.

    It was feared that The Wildlife Crime Unit, which tackles wildlife crime would be forced to close at the end of March due to Government funds being axed. However, on Tuesday, March 1st, it was announced that four years’ worth of funding has been secured keeping it open until 2020.

    Vera Baird, said: “This is a great victory for campaigners. The Government had to be pushed into funding this unit and I am pleased they finally came to their senses, recognising the importance of this vital work in tackling wildlife crime. Unfortunately other areas of the police budget have not been protected in the same way.

    “Across Northumbria we are fortunate to have some fantastic wildlife and we need to do all we can to protect it. Without this unit, crimes like badger baiting and the slaughter of wild birds of prey would have been forced to go uninvestigated. We need this unit because its members are specially trained to respond to these crimes and work with our officers to prevent animal cruelty and prosecute the criminals responsible.

    “As a country, we need to strengthen our stance against these crimes and I’m pleased the unit will be able to continue its efforts in investigating wildlife crime and working hard to put a stop to it.”

    Anyone who sees an incident involving the harming of wildlife or witnesses a crime against wildlife should report it to Northumbria Police on 101 or 999 in an emergency.

  • 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.”

  • PRESS RELEASE: Commissioner Baird celebrates Living Wage Week.

     

    \"Commissioner

    Commissioner joins the celebrations for Living Wage week

    Northumbria Police is joining in with the Living Wage celebrations this week after almost a year as an official Living Wage employer.

    Living Wage week, which this year runs from November 2 to 8, will again celebrate Living Wage employers and the employees who benefit.

    The Living Wage is different to the minimum wage and is based on the amount someone needs to earn to cover the basic cost of living.

    Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Vera Baird said: \”I\’m delighted the force is now able to join the celebrations of this unique club which has widespread political and business support.

    \”As the force celebrates being an official Living Wage employer for nearly a year, I\’ve been able to see first hand the difference implementing this policy has made.”

    There are now around 750 employers accredited by the Living Wage Foundation, committing them to pay the Living Wage to employed and subcontracted staff and the Commissioner added: \”I\’m delighted Northumbria Police is an official Living Wage employer.\”

    When the cleaners, who in the past were sub-contacted to Northumbria Police, were brought in house they received an extra £1.15 an hour – for an average contract of 20 hours a week.

    \”This is an extra £100 a month in the pay packet and shows how we value all our employees and the work they do and that everyone is part of \’Team Northumbria\’,\” Vera Baird said.

    She added: \”I\’ve always been an advocate of the Living Wage and as we’re in Living Wage Week, it’s now a good time to encourage other employers to come on board.  

    \”In the current economic climate we must do everything we can to help those on the minimum wage. If you value people, you have to show it and I believe that giving a decent wage is important.

    \”Currently 5.2 million people in the UK are paid less than the Living Wage with women and young people disproportionately affected.

    \”Living Wage week is an ideal time for other businesses to sign up – it\’s morally right and makes good business sense too.

    \”I\’m confident this time next year even more north east businesses will be accredited as Living Wage employers.\”

    The photograph shows Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Vera Baird with one of the force cleaners Derek Bellis at Forth Banks.

  • Britain Needs A Pay Rise – TUC Campaign

    Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Vera Baird is encouraging people to support the TUC as it urges ‘Britain needs a pay rise’.

    This Saturday, 18 October, a march supporting the living wage takes place in London with other demonstrations also happening across the country.

    Vera Baird said: “I’m supporting the TUC’s principal of the demonstration which is quite simple – that as growth returns to the UK economy, everyone should get a fairer share in this recovery.

    “People are currently facing the biggest squeeze on their incomes since Victorian times and wages have fallen in real terms every year since 2010.

    “I’m delighted that within my office and Northumbria Police we’ve already embraced many of the principles of this campaign.

    “The TUC is campaigning for a commitment to the living wage and we can give a resounding tick to that, as every employee in Northumbria Police is now paid at least the living wage.”

    Mrs Baird said the cleaning contract was recently brought back ‘in house’, allowing the cleaners’ salaries to be increased from the minimum wage to the living wage.

    She said contracts issued by Northumbria Police or her office had a clause built in that the staff working on the scheme on our behalf must be paid the living wage.

    “There are no ifs or buts, it’s a requirement we insist on to ensure those working within the supply chain of Northumbria Police at least get the living wage,” the Commissioner said.

    “This increase shows how we value all our staff and it also helps the local economy as moving from the minimum wage to the living wage will give staff more disposable income.

    “We all have a duty to support our employees and if a business can afford to pay a higher wage than the minimum wage, they should consider doing so.

    “I’m not looking at this through rose tinted glasses and fully appreciate that some businesses would struggle to pay higher salaries, but many wouldn’t and it is those businesses which can make a difference to their employees that have a duty to do so.”

    The minimum wage was introduced by Tony Blair through the National Minimum Wage Act in 1998 and has helped at least 1.5 million people.

    Since October 2013, the Government has published the names of employers who did not pay the minimum wage and the TUC has called on the Government to publicly name and shame those companies more widely. Additionally there are calls for HMRC to have more resources to help them identify more companies who are not paying the minimum wage.

    The Commissioner said: “This Saturday will send a clear message to the Government and employers about the differences implementing a living wage can have – while ensuring all meet the minimum wage.

    “Here at Northumbria we are leading the way, as are many companies in the north east, and we now need to ensure that all businesses pay the legal requirement of the minimum wage and where possible increase the payment to the living wage and I hope others will join with their support for the living wage.

    “If you haven’t already done so please pledge your support to the ‘Britain needs a pay rise’ march, a simple Tweet can show your support #18oct”