Initiatives tackling anti-social behaviour and cyber-crime
It feels like only yesterday that we all welcomed in the New Year – yet somehow we’re already into February and 2019 is hurtling by at a rate of knots.
In my last column, I mentioned how a New Year brings with it a number of new initiatives, and I’m delighted that many of those are now in full swing across Sunderland and South Tyneside.
Last week, it was great to see officers in Southwick join forces with the children and staff at English Martyrs RC Primary School as part of a speeding initiative along Redcar Road.
This was an excellent example of police working with the public and Sunderland City Council to tackle an issue that has been troubling parents, teachers and residents for some time.
Working with schools on initiatives such as this is so important – and it’s something that’s also ongoing in the west of Sunderland too as we look to curb anti-social behaviour caused by motorbike disorder.
The operation was launched last month to target hotspot areas including the Ford Estate, Pennywell, South Hylton, Grindon, Thorney Close, Farringdon, Doxford Park, Moorside and Silksworth. Officers have been visiting local schools to educate students of the dangers and potential implications to ultimately deter them away from taking part in such activity. Meanwhile plain-clothed and uniformed officers continue to patrol areas to identify riders involved in anti-social behaviour.
Elsewhere, our community engagement team has this week been hosting a range of crime prevention events to offer advice to elderly people across Sunderland and South Tyneside on how to avoid falling victim to internet scams, online hackers and bogus callers.
Cyber-crime is an everincreasing part of our police work, and often it is the most vulnerable in our communities who are targeted. As a result, we will continue to help raise awareness – but we need your help too.
If you have vulnerable family members, or know an elderly person who lives alone nearby, please check to make sure they are OK.
We have also had some notable convictions this month, which we hope send a strong message to those who look to commit crime and bring misery to others.
Many of you will recall the collision involving a vehicle and a police dog van on December 30. Last week, John McCabe, 30, of Fordenbridge Road, Sunderland, admitted a string of driving offences after leaving a trail of destruction in the city – and one of our officers with glass shards in his eye.
His irresponsible and dangerous driving threatened the lives of other road users across Sunderland. He is due to be sentenced in March, and I hope his conviction highlights that we will not tolerate this kind of selfish behaviour.
This week, Daniel Sayers, 35, of no fixed abode, was jailed for 10 years after slicing open a man’s throat following a disagreement inside a house on Tel El Kebir Road, Sunderland. The victim required a life-saving operation and will bear the scars for the rest of his life.
It was an incredibly difficult case from a policing perspective, with some key witnesses retracting evidence out of fear of possible repercussions against them. Sayers’ sentence was testament to the determination and professionalism of a team of detectives eager to ensure he had his day in court.
We are incredibly proud to protect the communities that we serve, and we will continue to look to bring criminals to justice, work closely with partners across the region and provide the very best policing service that you expect and deserve.