Tackling Violence

Here on Teesside the contours of inequality are laid bare by a long-term problem which has afflicted our communities for generations; the many ugly faces of violence. Using nationally recognised data, Cleveland’s violence rates are the second highest in the country and have been consistently high for generations. This is not a problem that I

‘The Red Lion’

If social media companies were pubs, they’d be closed for running a disorderly house. They need to do a great deal more to protect users from hate and bullying. Recent weeks have seen sports clubs use a 7-day social media boycott to highlight the abuse received by players which was again brought to light by

Snapshot

This week, we told people about the five new PCSOs that will be joining the Neighbourhood Policing Team at Redcar and Cleveland, which is part of the renewed plan that I launched to strengthen neighbourhood policing. Often, people online will respond to this news by telling us that they don’t see police officers walking along

An Open Letter to our Special Constables and Volunteers

Actions speak louder than words, don’t they? In a year when pulling together meant staying apart, you answered more of a calling than a call for help when you were needed most. As members of the Special Constabulary and Volunteers, you do not get paid for the vital service you deliver which makes what you

Deep water and the real signs of change

This week marks two years since I started as the Chief Constable of Cleveland Police and so it feels like an appropriate time to reflect on how far we’ve come. On the 29th April 2019 when I first looked out of the office window in Hemlington, this was the sign I saw: I can smile

Saving Lives – A real story

** Please note some names have been changed in this blog to protect identity ** Sophie from Middlesbrough was in the midst of a crisis that she felt was too much to bear. She had sought help from a number of different agencies, but she felt she didn’t have anywhere to turn during her hardest

Service

The death of His Royal Highness (HRH) The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh has this week led many of us to reflect on the nature of service to others and duty to a cause larger than any one individual. As much as I knew what an enormous contribution HRH had made to our country, I

Covid Anniversary

This past week has been a national opportunity to reflect on the anniversary of the first ‘lockdown’ and the way our lives have been changed due to covid-19. New phrases have entered the national consciousness; ‘social distancing’, ‘self-isolate’ and ‘anti-vax’ and have largely replaced ‘hug’, ‘meet’ and ‘socialise’. During this timely national reflection, many moving

Leadership

I’ll admit this past weekend has been a little painful with Wales losing the rugby against France by the slimmest of margins. As well as the game itself, I enjoy watching the after-match interviews. I say ‘enjoy’ but its more of an analysis. Different coaches and players take differing approaches and it speaks volumes to

Response Policing Week

This week marks a special moment in the calendar for us in UK Policing; it’s Response Policing Week and an opportunity for us to showcase some of the work that our response officers do to keep us safe. This week also happens to coincide with my Long Service and Good Conduct medal arriving at Cleveland