More police officers keeping Hartlepool communities safe as chief begins drive to boost numbers

New Cleveland Police chief constable Richard Lewis set out his desire to provide more neighbourhood policing when he took up his post.

It was revealed earlier this year plans were in place to increase ‘as quickly as possible’ the number of police officers to support the current PCs and PCSO establishment in Hartlepool.

A report to go before the Safer Hartlepool Partnership later this week from Chief Inspector for Hartlepool Peter Graham noted new officers are already being brought in, with more planned for the coming months.

It said: “The number of officers per team is to increase further over the next few months. Our aim is to have 6 x Police Constables on every team.

“The number of PCSOs should also increase further once training is completed.

“Neighbourhood policing is to return to support the integrated Hartlepool Community Safety Team, to help reduce crime and anti-social behaviour and importantly to provide a service to our community to help reinvigorate community engagement.”

As of July 2020 increasing resources has already led to a return to three neighbourhood policing teams, up from two, now covering seven days a week.

The supervision team is also being expanded, with an additional sergeant arriving over the summer.

The increase in neighbourhood policing resources will provide a boost to the community safety team, which is made up of representatives from the police, council, fire brigade and more.

The team works together under one roof to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour issues.

Speaking at an Audit and Governance Committee meeting in March, Chief Inspector Graham said he was really trying to drive numbers in neighbourhood policing.

Speaking at the meeting, he said: “We’re in a positive position regarding policing, but it’s going to be a really, really difficult journey.”

Cleveland Police has lost more than 500 officers and PCSOs since 2010 and there has been more clamour for the numbers to be brought back.

It was announced at the end of last year Cleveland Police were getting 72 new officers to go out on the beat ‘ahead of schedule’, with the force also getting a separate extra 120 officers by the end of 2019/20.

The report will be discussed at the Safer Hartlepool Partnership meeting on Friday, September 4, from 10am.

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