Top cop promises 'stronger police presence' after figures reveal 100,000 unattended anti-social behaviour incidents

Northumbria Police's new chief constable, Vanessa Jardine.

Police will be more visible on the streets of the North East, the region’s new chief constable has promised.

After taking the helm at Northumbria Police earlier this month, Vanessa Jardine has pledged a “very deliberate” region-wide operation starting in June that aimed at making both her and officers a stronger presence in the communities they are tasked with protecting.

Ch Cons Jardine told journalists that the project would see officers out making arrests, carrying out warrants and also speaking to locals about issues in their area.

The chief’s vow comes after it was revealed that more than 100,000 anti-social behaviour (ASB) reports across Northumberland and Tyne and Wear did not result in a police officer visiting the scene between 2019 and 2022 – with the percentage of reports attended dropping from 60% to 45% in that time.

Asked whether she would seek to reverse that trend, Ch Cons Jardine said: “We need to make sure we are attending the right incidents at the right time. We have seen increases in demand across a wide range of incidents.

“But I know how impactive ASB can be on a community and we need to make sure we are responding in the right way.”

She added: “One of the things policing should do is address anti-social behaviour. Local authorities have a lot of responsibility around ASB as well if you talk about noise nuisance, for example, or fly-tipping which does affect communities.

“I need to make sure that we are responding to the incidents we can make a difference for. If we do that properly and effectively, then we will be able to respond to more incidents.”