There is real concern about crime - particularly in rural East Cleveland. I am working with our new Chief Constable to ensure more police are freed up to be where they want to be: on the front line.
I really welcome the way that local people used May’s local elections to vote for positive change. I will be meeting new Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston soon, and sat down last week with the new Leader of Redcar and Cleveland, Councillor Mary Lanigan.
Some good news for the fight against crime in East Cleveland. Paul Jefferson has caused misery for so many people, and a robust sentence will be welcomed by lots of families and businesses.
It’s hugely concerning that the National Black Police Association has named Cleveland Police as “institutionally racist” in evidence to Parliament this week as reported in the Northern Echo.
At a tough time for Cleveland Police, it was good to be able to thank Sergeant Whitlock and his team for the hard work they put in on our behalf at my surgery at Tesco Coulby Newham on Friday.
Today’s breaking news that Chief Constable Veale’s has resigned from Cleveland Police is extraordinary and unacceptable. I have been the MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland for 18 months and we’re about to move on to my third Chief Constable in that time.
Yesterday I met Chief Constable Mike Veale and Police and Crime Commissioner Barry Coppinger. I asked them a series of questions about progress with the Chief's plan to reform the force to ensure maximum numbers of officers are out fighting crime.
There are only two ways to respond to the theft of charity money from a Church: sadness and anger. I feel both this morning, and particularly the latter. As I said in response to Graham Cutler's post yesterday, this was a cowardly and unChristian act and whoever did it needs to be caught.
East Cleveland residents will be aware of an individual who is a serious repeat offender in committing burglaries and robberies in Lingdale, Skelton-in-Cleveland and Loftus, re-offending almost as quickly as he is released. I will not name him here and please do not do so in the comments below.
I am very clear more needs to be done to tackle crime across our constituency. I met the Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, to make this point forcefully yesterday. I told him about the depth of concern that is felt in our communities and said it is my number one domestic policy priority.
