Lovely to read victim’s praise for police

Usually at this time of year the spotlight shines brightly on Sunderland as thousands of families descend on the Roker and Seaburn seafront to enjoy one of the flagship events of the year.

The Sunderland Airshow is a staple of the North East calendar and was due to be held last weekend.

Unfortunately, the event was cancelled as a result of the pandemic but I know everyone is already looking forward to the next time we can look to the skies and enjoy this wonderful weekend together.

What the last few months has really highlighted is the community spirit that this region is famed for, and it’s been heart-warming to see everyone pull together.

Despite the unprecedented circumstances we find ourselves in, from a policing perspective our hard work continues – and I was absolutely delighted to recently hear of how our officers had again gone above and beyond to help a victim of crime.

Last week, you may have seen how a Falklands War veteran had his treasured medals returned to him – 15 years after they had originally been stolen in South Tyneside.

His wife saw them up for sale online and contacted police – and then detectives in our dedicated burglary team linked in with the Metropolitan Police in London and managed to locate them, and bring them back to the North East.

It was lovely to read the victim’s praise for the police who helped bring them home – and an example of how we can work hand-in-hand with the public to achieve a positive outcome.