Northumbria Police
Encyclopedia
Northumbria Police is the territorial police force
responsible for policing the areas of Northumberland
and Tyne and Wear
in North East England
. The service is the sixth largest police force in England and Wales
. The current Chief Constable
is Sue Sim who was appointed by Northumbria Police Authority on 20 April 2011. The constabulary headquarters are located in Ponteland
, Northumberland, near Newcastle Airport
. Former Chief Constables include Sir Stanley Bailey
(1975-1991), John Stevens, Baron Stevens of Kirkwhelpington
(1991-1996), Crispian Strachan
CBE
(1998-2005) and Mike Craik (2005-2010). Northumbria is Home Office force 10.
along with part of the Durham Constabulary
. The police forces for the county borough
s of South Shields
, Gateshead
, Sunderland
, Newcastle upon Tyne
and Tynemouth
had already been amalgamated into their respective county forces in the late 1960s, with the Berwick-upon-Tweed
police having been merged into Northumberland in 1921.
Under proposals made by the Home Secretary
on 6 February 2006, it would merge with Cleveland Police
and Durham Constabulary to form a single strategic police force for the North East England
. Both Northumbria and Durham favour this proposal, while Cleveland has expressed a wish that it be merged with the southern area of the Durham Force. These proposals have since been dropped nationwide.
In July 2010, Raoul Moat targeted Northumbria Police officers after release from Durham Prison
. A manhunt was started by Northumbria Police with assistance from Durham Police, Cleveland Police
, Cumbria Police, West Yorkshire Police
, South Yorkshire Police
and Humberside Police
. As the situation developed over a period days more support was made available with the Metropolitan Police
sending 40 firearms officers, most specialised in the use of sniper rifles. Also, the Police Service of Northern Ireland
sent 20 armoured Mitsubishi Shoguns to help in the search on rough terrain in Northumberland
.
|+ Northumbria Police: Neighbourhood Policing Teams>
! style=" border-bottom:1.5px solid black"|Area Command
! style=" border-bottom:1.5px solid black"|Neighbourhood Policing Teams>
| width=19% style="border-bottom:1px solid gray"|Sunderland
| width=60% style="border-bottom:1px solid gray"|Houghton; Sunderland Central; Sunderland East; Sunderland North; Sunderland South; Sunderland West;
Washington>
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray"|South Tyneside
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray"|East Shields, Cleadon and Whitburn; Jarrow and Hebburn; West Shields and Riverside>
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray"|Gateshead
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray"|Central Gateshead; East Gateshead; South Gateshead; Inner West Gateshead; Metro Centre Gateshead; Outer West
Gateshead>
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray"|North Tyneside
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray"|North Shields; Whitley Bay; Killingworth; Wallsend>
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray"|Newcastle
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray"|Gosforth and Great Park; Blakelaw, Kenton and Fawdon; Fenham and Scotswood; Benwell and Elswick; Newcastle Central;
Jesmond and Heaton; Byker and Walker; Outer West Newcastle (formerly Westerhope and Newburn)>
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray"|Northumberland
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray"|Bedlington; Blyth; Cramlington; Ashington; Morpeth; Alnwick; Berwick; West Tynedale; East Tynedale>
lists and commemorates all British police officers killed in the line of duty, and since its establishment in 1984 has erected over 38 memorials to some of those officers.
Since 1900, the following officers of Northumbria Police and its predecessors are listed by the Trust as having been killed while attempting to prevent, stop or solve a criminal act:
Territorial police force
The phrase Territorial Police Force varies in precise meaning according to the country to which it is related, generally distinguishing a force whose area of responsibility is defined by sub-national boundaries from others which deal with the entire country or a restricted range of...
responsible for policing the areas of Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
and Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear is a metropolitan county in north east England around the mouths of the Rivers Tyne and Wear. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972...
in North East England
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
. The service is the sixth largest police force in England and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. The current Chief Constable
Chief Constable
Chief constable is the rank used by the chief police officer of every territorial police force in the United Kingdom except for the City of London Police and the Metropolitan Police, as well as the chief officers of the three 'special' national police forces, the British Transport Police, Ministry...
is Sue Sim who was appointed by Northumbria Police Authority on 20 April 2011. The constabulary headquarters are located in Ponteland
Ponteland
Ponteland is a village situated in Northumberland near Newcastle upon Tyne, England. The name means island in the Pont , as the area consisted of a small piece of solid ground around St. Mary's church and the old bridge, surrounded by marshland. This marshland is now drained, with housing built on...
, Northumberland, near Newcastle Airport
Newcastle Airport
Newcastle International Airport is located in Woolsington in the City of Newcastle upon Tyne, England, north-west of the city centre. In 2010 it was the 11th busiest airport in the United Kingdom....
. Former Chief Constables include Sir Stanley Bailey
Stanley Bailey
Sir Stanley Ernest Bailey, CBE, QPM was a senior British police officer. He was chief constable of Northumbria Police from 1975 until 1991....
(1975-1991), John Stevens, Baron Stevens of Kirkwhelpington
John Stevens, Baron Stevens of Kirkwhelpington
John Arthur Stevens, Baron Stevens of Kirkwhelpington KStJ QPM DL FRSA was Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis from 2000 until 2005. From 1991 to 1996, he was Chief Constable of Northumbria Police before being appointed one of HM Inspectors of Constabulary in September 1996...
(1991-1996), Crispian Strachan
Crispian Strachan
Crispian Strachan CBE was Chief Constable of Northumbria Police from 1998 to 2005.-Life:Strachan was born in 1949 and read law at Jesus College, Oxford before receiving an M.A. in Criminology from the University of Sheffield...
CBE
CBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
(1998-2005) and Mike Craik (2005-2010). Northumbria is Home Office force 10.
History
The force was formed in 1974 and was a merger of the old Northumberland ConstabularyNorthumberland Constabulary
Northumberland Constabulary was the Home Office police force for the county of Northumberland, England, until 1974.Northumberland Constabulary absorbed Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Police in 1921 and Newcastle upon Tyne City Police and Tynemouth Borough Police in the late 1960s, more than doubling...
along with part of the Durham Constabulary
Durham Constabulary
Durham Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for policing the non-metropolitan county of County Durham and the unitary authority of Darlington. The force covers the 2,232 km² of the county which has a resident population of 595,308. It is one of the smaller forces of the...
. The police forces for the county borough
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
s of South Shields
South Shields
South Shields is a coastal town in Tyne and Wear, England, located at the mouth of the River Tyne to Tyne Dock, and about downstream from Newcastle upon Tyne...
, Gateshead
Gateshead
Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England and is the main settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. Historically a part of County Durham, it lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle upon Tyne and together they form the urban core of Tyneside...
, Sunderland
City of Sunderland
The City of Sunderland is a local government district of Tyne and Wear, in North East England, with the status of a city and metropolitan borough...
, Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
and Tynemouth
Tynemouth
Tynemouth is a town and a historic borough in Tyne and Wear, England, at the mouth of the River Tyne, between North Shields and Cullercoats . It is administered as part of the borough of North Tyneside, but until 1974 was an independent county borough in its own right...
had already been amalgamated into their respective county forces in the late 1960s, with the Berwick-upon-Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed or simply Berwick is a town in the county of Northumberland and is the northernmost town in England, on the east coast at the mouth of the River Tweed. It is situated 2.5 miles south of the Scottish border....
police having been merged into Northumberland in 1921.
Under proposals made by the Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
on 6 February 2006, it would merge with Cleveland Police
Cleveland Police
Cleveland Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the area of former county of Cleveland in north east England. The Cleveland Police area covers approximately and has a population of over 554,000....
and Durham Constabulary to form a single strategic police force for the North East England
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
. Both Northumbria and Durham favour this proposal, while Cleveland has expressed a wish that it be merged with the southern area of the Durham Force. These proposals have since been dropped nationwide.
In July 2010, Raoul Moat targeted Northumbria Police officers after release from Durham Prison
Durham (HM Prison)
HM Prison Durham is a local Category B men's prison, located in the Elvet area of Durham in County Durham, England. The prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service.-History:...
. A manhunt was started by Northumbria Police with assistance from Durham Police, Cleveland Police
Cleveland Police
Cleveland Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the area of former county of Cleveland in north east England. The Cleveland Police area covers approximately and has a population of over 554,000....
, Cumbria Police, West Yorkshire Police
West Yorkshire Police
West Yorkshire Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing West Yorkshire in England. It is the fourth largest force in England and Wales by number of officers, with 5671 officers....
, South Yorkshire Police
South Yorkshire Police
South Yorkshire Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing South Yorkshire in England.The police force covers an area of approximately 1,554 square kilometres which is made up of the county's three boroughs , along with the City of Sheffield. The resident population is 1.2...
and Humberside Police
Humberside Police
Humberside Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing an area covering the East Riding of Yorkshire, the city of Kingston upon Hull, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire...
. As the situation developed over a period days more support was made available with the Metropolitan Police
Metropolitan police
Metropolitan Police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...
sending 40 firearms officers, most specialised in the use of sniper rifles. Also, the Police Service of Northern Ireland
Police Service of Northern Ireland
The Police Service of Northern Ireland is the police force that serves Northern Ireland. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary which, in turn, was the successor to the Royal Irish Constabulary in Northern Ireland....
sent 20 armoured Mitsubishi Shoguns to help in the search on rough terrain in Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
.
Command team
- Chief Constable, Sue Sim
- Deputy Chief Constable, Mark Gilmore
- Assistant Chief Constable, Steve Ashman
- Assistant Chief Constable, Greg Vant
- Assistant Chief Constable, Jim Campbell
- Assistant Chief Officer, Bernie McArdle
- Assistant Chief Officer, Steve Culkin
Divisional structure
Northumbria Police is divided into six Area Commands with numerous stations within:| Identifier | Area Command | Stations | Area |
| AA | Sunderland | Gillbridge, Houghton le Spring, Farringdon, Southwick, Washington | covering the local authority area of Sunderland |
| BB | South Tyneside | South Shields | covering the local authority of South Tyneside |
| CC | Gateshead | Gateshead, Whickham | covering the local authority area of Gateshead |
| DD | North Tyneside | North Shields, Whitley Bay, Forest Hall, Wallsend | covering the local authority of North Tyneside |
| EE | Newcastle | Newcastle Pilgrim Street, Etal Lane, Clifford Street, Westgate Road | covering the local authority area of Newcastle upon Tyne |
| FF | Northumberland | Ashington, Bedlington, Blyth, Cramlington, Alnwick, Berwick, Prudhoe, Hexham, Morpeth | covering the local authority area of Northumberland |
Neighbourhood policing
Northumbria Police has numerous teams dedicated to neighbourhood policing attached to the area commands as the table below outlines:! style=" border-bottom:1.5px solid black"|Area Command
! style=" border-bottom:1.5px solid black"|Neighbourhood Policing Teams>
| width=19% style="border-bottom:1px solid gray"|Sunderland
| width=60% style="border-bottom:1px solid gray"|Houghton; Sunderland Central; Sunderland East; Sunderland North; Sunderland South; Sunderland West;
Washington>
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray"|South Tyneside
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray"|East Shields, Cleadon and Whitburn; Jarrow and Hebburn; West Shields and Riverside>
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray"|Gateshead
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray"|Central Gateshead; East Gateshead; South Gateshead; Inner West Gateshead; Metro Centre Gateshead; Outer West
Gateshead>
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray"|North Tyneside
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray"|North Shields; Whitley Bay; Killingworth; Wallsend>
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray"|Newcastle
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray"|Gosforth and Great Park; Blakelaw, Kenton and Fawdon; Fenham and Scotswood; Benwell and Elswick; Newcastle Central;
Jesmond and Heaton; Byker and Walker; Outer West Newcastle (formerly Westerhope and Newburn)>
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray"|Northumberland
| style="border-bottom:1px solid gray"|Bedlington; Blyth; Cramlington; Ashington; Morpeth; Alnwick; Berwick; West Tynedale; East Tynedale>
Communications
There are two central communication centres:- Northern Communication Centre (NCC) which deals with all stations and commands North of the Tyne, based at Force HQ in Ponteland.
- Southern Communication Centre (SCC) which deals with all stations and commands South of the Tyne, based at South Shields.
Officers killed in the line of duty
The Police Memorial TrustPolice Memorial Trust
The Police Memorial Trust is a charitable organisation founded in 1984 and based in London. The trust's objective is to erect memorials to British police officers killed in the line of duty, at or near the spot where they died, thereby acting as a permanent reminder to the public of the sacrifice...
lists and commemorates all British police officers killed in the line of duty, and since its establishment in 1984 has erected over 38 memorials to some of those officers.
Since 1900, the following officers of Northumbria Police and its predecessors are listed by the Trust as having been killed while attempting to prevent, stop or solve a criminal act:
- PC George Bertram Mussell KPMQueen's Police MedalThe Queen's Police Medal is awarded to police officers in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth for gallantry or distinguished service. Recipients may use the post-nominal letters "QPM", although the right to use these was only granted officially on 20 July 1969...
, 1913 (shot) - Sgt Andrew Barton, 1913 (shot)
- PC George William Wheatley, 1957 (fell from roof while searching for a suspect)
- PC Brian Armstrong, 1966 (stabbed)
- PC Daniel Buckley, 1982 (fell through roof while pursuing a burglar)
- PC Bernard Leslie Bull, 1991 (collapsed and died during an arrest)
- Sgt William Forth, 1993 (stabbed)
- PC Joseph Geoffrey Carroll, 2006 (the prisoner he was transporting caused the vehicle to crash, fatally injuring the officer)
See also
- List of police forces in the United Kingdom
- 2010 Northumbria Police manhunt2010 Northumbria Police manhunt-Birtley shootings:Moat was released from Durham prison on 1 July, and allegedly arrived in the early hours of 3 July 2010 at a house in Birtley where Stobbart and her new partner – 29-year-old karate instructor, Chris Brown – were visiting. Brown had moved to the area from Windsor,...
- Policing in the United KingdomPolicing in the United KingdomLaw enforcement in the United Kingdom is organised separately in each of the legal systems of the United Kingdom: England & Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland ....