Appreciation to Interim Chief Constable Lee Freeman for providing stability – PCC Barry Coppinger

I will be taking the chief constable to meet the Hartlepool Community Safety Team next week and to spend time with the officers and staff based in the town.

Richard has spent a week receiving a comprehensive handover from Interim Chief Constable Lee Freeman, who has been leading Cleveland Police for the last three months as part of a temporary agreement with Humberside Police.

Last week I wrote to Humberside PCC Keith Hunter to thank him for agreeing to support Lee in his temporary move to Cleveland Police, where he has demonstrated everything I would expect from a top-class chief constable.

He has provided much-needed stability to the leadership of the Force at a time of uncertainty and made significant improvements, for example, in call-taking within the Force control room.

I know Lee will continue to be a regional ally for Cleveland in the years to come and I wish him ever more success as he returns to his role at Humberside.

On Friday, April 5, members of the Hartlepool Community Safety Team attended Teesside Magistrates’ Court to apply for premises closure orders on an address in St Bees Walk, Hartlepool.

This follows on from numerous complaints over recent months, from partner agencies and the local community, in relation to drug-related anti-social behaviour from the premises.

With the continued patience and support of local residents, the Community Safety Team was granted Closure Orders for 3 St Bees Walk, Hartlepool.

For the next three months, any persons entering the address are committing criminal offences and can be dealt with accordingly.

Should you witness any persons breaching the closure order, you can report this to Cleveland Police by calling 101 or 999 if it is an emergency.

I’m delighted to have taken part in a number of public engagements within the community in Hartlepool over the last few weeks.

Earlier this month I visited Ahmadi Nasir Mosque as part of my commitment to engaging with the diverse communities we have in Cleveland. I would like to express my thanks to everyone at the mosque for their warm welcome.

Once again, I was proud to take part in the annual Workers Memorial Day Remembrance Service at Christ Church on April 28 – an important occasion to remember workers who have died through industrial accident or disease and fight for better working conditions for the living.

If you would like me to attend your community event, please contact my office on [email protected]