Domestic violence victims set on fire in the North East

 According to Newcastle City Council In the Northumbria Police area there were 4.94 incidents of domestic violence per 1,000 residents in the first three months of 2011/12 – slightly higher than the ‘Most Similar Force’ average of 4.13.But in the same period 50.6 per cent on domestic violence incidents in Northumbria involved a repeat victim – compared to an MSF average of 27.9 per cent – placing Northumbria in the highest group.

Trials of Clare's law will take place in 3 separate police forces in September 2013.  Under the law any person will be able to check whether or not their partner has an abusive past and if they are at threat.  This will be no doubt carried out on a risk-based approach by the police but is an important safeguard.  The trials will take place in Nottinghamshire, Greater Manchester and Wiltshire.Victims of domestic violence may suffer from injury, sexually transmitted infections, anxiety, depression, substance misuse, eating disorders, self harm and suicide. Nationally, two women are murdered every week by their partner or former partner.

In Newcastle victims have been: set on fire, burnt with cigarettes, tied up, starved and beaten, forced to have sex with their partners’ associates, forced to marry men who have raped them and repeatedly kicked until they miscarried.  More than half of all reported incidents of domestic violence in Newcastle involve children who will witness abuse or directly abused themselves.

The peak age group for domestic violence is 20-24 which accounts for 21 per cent of victims in Newcastle in the last three years – the group also most likely to have small children.

In Newcastle 43 per cent of initial child protection conferences had domestic violence as a factor, in 44 per cent of these alcohol misuse was an issue, in 38 per cent drugs misuse and in 27 per cent both drugs and alcohol. See http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/news-story/tackling-domestic-violence-newcastle for more details

According to a recent NSPCC study, 12% of under 11s, 18% of 11-17s and 24% of 18-24s had been exposed to domestic abuse between adults in their homes during childhood. Adult males were the perpetrators in 94% of cases where one parent had physically abused another.

In a study of 268 serious case reviews, 34% of cases were found to have domestic abuse as a risk factor.
Brandon, M., Bailey, S. and Belderson, P. (2010) Building on the learning from serious case reviews: a two-year analysis of child protection database notifications 2007-2009. London: Department for Education

Domestic abuse accounts for 18% of all violent crime.
Home Office (2011) Crime in England and Wales 2010/11. London: Home Office

 I know from my own experience how brutal these attacks upon women can be having seen some shocking injuries inflicted by abusive partners.  That's why I'm advocating a change in the law to ensure criminals who commit serious violence or sexual attacks against women, children or the elderly receive 2 strikes and then out, i.e. life imprisonment on second offence. 

Two strikes and out for violent offenders

We had a dreadful case which came to court this week.  The conviction of Graham Jarman for the murder of Mrs Richardson in Hexham illustrates how on occasions the criminal justice system fails us all leading to tragic consequences.  Mrs Richardson an elderly lady, was sitting down to lunch in the quiet rural town of Hexham when Jarman knocked on her door and brutally attacked her with a hammer leaving her for dead.  This was not the first time he had done such a thing and the homicide investigation involved all of the regions police forces trying to track him down.  As is usual his arrest was due to a quick witted member of the public, a Librarian who had saved a photo of him after the police had circulated an appeal for information about his location  His arrest and conviction is a fine example of the region’s police forces and Crown Prosecution Service working together to detain a very dangerous individual.  The ‘manhunt;’ was an excellent piece of detective work by all those involved.  However the fact of the matter is that Jarman should never have been set free to strike in the first place.  He had a string of convictions for robbery, rape and kidnap all of which were of a horrific nature.   On each occasion he was released early from prison allowing him to stalk and prey upon vulnerable women.  His is a case, which is no different to Donald Neilson, ‘the Black Panther’ or Peter Sutcliffe, the ‘Yorkshire Ripper’.  He should never be released from prison ever again.  That’s why I’m advocating that we should have a ‘two strikes and out’ system for violent offenders who attack women, children or the vulnerable.  Once again our region is left with a family grieving for a loved one and I’m sure the impact of this brutal and callous crime will never ever leave them.  We all have a duty to rectify this situation and I believe that we must aim to put victims first and offenders second to redress the present imbalance in our criminal justice system. 

Good policing is not a political numbers game

The HMIC report ‘Policing in Austerity, One Year On’ published yesterday rightly commends Northumbria Police, its officers and staff for the sacrifices that have been made due to the austerity measures required.  Despite facing significant cuts in funding, Northumbria has still managed to reduce crime by 8.2% and anti social behaviour by 3%. 

80% of the police budget is spent on salaries and understandably Northumbria is looking to make savings through natural wastage in police officer and police staff numbers over the next 3 years.  However it is important to stress that due to greater efficiency the proportion of frontline officers will not decrease as dramatically as HMIC predicted nor as the press speculated yesterday.  Due to sound management and greater efficencies Northumbria will actually increase its proportion of front line officers over the next 3 years from 84% to 91%, which will mean Northumbria having a greater percentage of officers in front, line roles more than many other police forces.  In fact Northumbria will soon be recruiting another 40 police officers paid for directly by savings that have already been made.

This is really not a political issue.  No matter who was in government, the Coalition or Labour cuts would have to be made. As Ministers from both parties have identified in the past, it’s not the numbers of police officers you have, it’s what you do with them that counts. 

The key is cutting down costs and scrapping bureaucracy saving thousands of pounds and saving valuable police officer hours.

We currently have about 3900 police officers, which is about 900 more than we had in 2008, plus over 400 Community Support Officers and over 1500 support staff.  Year on year reductions in crime proves that Northumbria is still punching above its weight. 

The challenge for Police and Crime Commissioners will be one of listening to the needs of the community, identifying priorities and sustaining performance whilst increasing efficiency.   PCC’s need to do be able to do this whilst ensuring that Chief Constables continue to get the resources and the tools they need to do the job.

Putting victim's first

The government news today that offenders will be forced to pay £50 million each year to help victims of crime is hugely important.  This is on top of the £66 million the government already shares in providing services for victims and witnesses.  Not only will this allow Police and Crime Commissioner's more flexibility in commissioning victim based services it also sends out an important message that puts victims first.  I personally think this is the right step to make and I have pledged that if successful at the election I will ensure that groups such as Victim Support will have a greater say in the local criminal justice system by having a place on Local Criminal Justice Boards and a full time role within the Commissioner's office.  Too often victims and their families are marginalized and are limited to receiving a 15 second TV soundbite on the steps of Crown Court and then forgotten about.  I also want to see a victim's drop in centre located within the Commissioner's office so that victim's of crime and their families can have direct access to the Commissioner.  Too often I believe we concentrate on the needs of offenders at the expense of victim's and their families.  It's not just the impact crime has on an individual at the time of the offence that's important, it's the impact it has on them in the future.  The consequences of such crimes can also have a significant impact on our local economy by reducing peoples confidence in the neighborhoods where they live and work.  So that's why I'm putting the needs of victims and their families at the top of my manifesto.

Litter & 'Cameron'.

Really enjoying going out on the campaign trail and finding out what local residents believe are the important matters the police should tackle.  I was in Sunderland last week and this week I'm concentrating on the Northumberland area.  On Monday afternoon I was in Alnwick and I was surprised to see just how many tourists were in town, hundreds!  All drawn to the magnificent castle and the gardens, which have proved so popular.  Yet if you go a few hundred yards in town you can't help notice all the litter cast to one side by people waiting at the bus terminus.  There are plenty of bins there but people are just too lazy to use them.  Local residents told me that this was fairly common and they are fed up with it.  I saw 2 Community Support Officers on patrol and I suspect litter was the last thing on their minds.  We really need to tackle these issues which may appear unimportant to some but I believe are central to restoring civic pride in our cities, towns and villages.  The trouble is these issues nag away at us, are a constant source of aggravation and the difficulty is that once people lose pride in where they live it can lead to general apathy and lawlessness.  That’s why as Police and Crime Commissioner I would prioritise litter as an important issue and I would urge the police to start clamping down by handing out fixed penalty tickets and as far as I’m concerned the sooner the better!

So you might be wondering about 'Cameron'?  Well yesterday I attended the Hexham Women's Association and spoke to them about similar concerns.  They agreed that litter and civic pride were hugely important issues to them and they too were in favour of clamping down on litterlouts.  It was great to meet so many people so energised about the role of PCC and with such positive views.  As an added bonus my wife and I won a small, bloodhound, soft toy in the tombola for Paddy our 8-month-old son.  We have decided to call him, 'Cameron' and he will be my new campaign mascot, let’s hope he brings me luck! 

Sunderland Dealer keeps home whilst pensioner reminded of 52p arrears

A big thank you to the Sunderland Resident’s Association I met today.  All of whom you would describe as the 'Salt of the earth'.   Men who had worked all of their lives and were proud to live as part of a local housing association.  Indeed they stated that they felt privileged to live where they did.  They acknowledged the good work of the local Police Community Beat team and were grateful for their efforts in ensuring that they lived in a safe and orderly place.  However they told me a tale, which even now I find incredulous!  Local residents had smelt a strong smell of 'happy baccy' in the vicinity and the police raided one place in particular.  It was a younger resident and inside his home was found masses of cannabis plants.  He was arrested but little happened to him as he said they were for his own use!!  Unbelievably he was allowed to keep his home, which was a social housing home under the auspices of the local housing association.  Guess what?...A few months later the police were back at his home and once again they found another cannabis farm.  He was arrested once more but this time he went to court and as far as the residents are aware he received a 'slap on the wrists’.  This is the bit I cannot believe...the housing association gave him the keys to his rented home yet again!!!  Meanwhile one of the retired residents a man who worked all of his life in the shipyards and on a state pension of £110 per week was sent a reminder of arrears by the same association for 52p!!!

I have not been able to corroborate these facts at present but if correct it staggers belief.  Needless to say I believe the correct course of action to take should have been immediate eviction after the first transgression.  No doubt there was bureaucracy, human rights and legal considerations but I'm sorry this sort of inaction just undermines the honest, hard working majority of families who reside in the area.  We need the police and the housing associations to work effectively together, to arrest, prosecute and if convicted seize offender's assets and evict them because as far as I'm concerned and I hope you agree? I believe they have abused their right to social housing. 

Now I know from my own research it costs about £8k to set up a cannabis farm but the profits can be as much as £150k! There is an offence under the Proceeds of Crime Act of 'facilitating money laundering' and I just wonder if the housing associations ever considered their own liability let alone the consequences of their actions upon the community.  I suspect that it was the offender’s human rights that were most foremost in their minds.  I promised the residents that if elected I would act to change this irresponsible, institutionalized mentality.

How to re build trust in our communities

Why is it that many of us distrust governmental institutions, politicians, and the political process and yet trust commercial brands?  What is it about Amazon, Apple, Argos and others that make us hand over our money with one click without even thinking about it?  We entrust these companies with our personal and financial information and then sign over all of our rights or entitlements to it!  It's an interesting dilemma for someone like me that's seeking a role such as Police and Crime Commissioner.  These are some of the things I've been discussing today at the EU Cities event ran by Belfast City Council and facilitated by INEQE.  We could learn a lot from the people of Belfast and Northern Ireland.  What was once a desperate no hope sort of place fed by hatred and bigotry is now an environment filled with booming confidence and optimism fueled by the emergence of a new technology sector?  2000 jobs have been created in a few short years with £80 million of salaries being used to regenerate the local economy.  It's been done by the community finally coming together and backed by government investment with a close alliance to the business community.  I was in a building today near the historic Titanic slipway that routinely transacts £900 trillion dollars of the world's global capital markets!  They have re built public confidence not just politically but by investing in a sound infrastructure backed up by a long-term vision.

We must utilise these new digital technologies that we as consumers have so much confidence in and use them to communicate with the public to ensure that agencies such as the police can communicate quickly and effectively with the public it serves.  We must ensure that the public have unfettered access to PCC's to ensure that they are able to say what they believe the police should be focusing on.   We must provide the public with access to easy to use digital technologies to encourage a free flow of information between the public, the PCC's and the police. We should expect and Insist upon the highest of professional standards for all public officials including the PCC and have a zero tolerance to all forms of fraud and corruption.  The PCC should ensure that the police are truly accountable to the public via the PCC and held to account whenever appropriate.

These are the reasons why I believe the appointment of PCC's are a good thing.  To bring true accountability to policing and re build the trust of the community in the political process.