Police chief hails force honour

NORTHUMBRIA Police are proving themselves a force to be reckoned with – in fact it’s been named the best in the country.

The force was commended for its dedication to the public by Police and Crime Commissioner Dame Vera Baird after a national survey of community confidence and satisfaction levels ranked it top of the cops in England and Wales.

The reliability of officers was praised by the public, who scored Northumbria Police the highest of all 43 forces for doing a good job, in the latest Crime Survey for England and Wales.

Dame Vera said the results were ‘very encouraging’ for the force in the face of some of the most ‘severe’ cuts Northumbria Police has experienced.

“It is no surprise that the communities which Northumbria Police serves are confident and supportive of the force and the work they are doing,” she said. “It is fantastic to see public confidence and satisfaction is so high, which is a central part of my police and crime plan.

“It is a testament to the resilience of the force and is very encouraging news despite the struggles severe government funding cuts have placed on local policing.

“We all know Northumbria has been hit the hardest out of all police forces and has had to make savings and cuts of £136m since 2010 - a real-terms reduction in excess of 23%.

“Despite the huge challenge this has presented we have managed to protect local policing as best we can, which is an absolute priority for me, and it is nice to see that the public are still so supportive.”