Cleveland Police Receive Extra £2m to Tackle Serious Crime Following A66 Crash
BBC News Headline
Cleveland Police have been allocated an additional £2m by the home secretary Shabana Mahmood to combat serious crime in the region, after a tragic crash on the A66 near Middlesbrough led to the deaths of seven individuals, including two police officers.
The Incident
On 22 August, PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough lost their lives when a Volkswagen Passat travelling the wrong way on the A66 collided with their vehicle. Five men in the Passat also died. Since then, Cleveland Police have made 27 arrests for activities associated with serious and organised crime.
Challenges Following the Crash
In the aftermath of the crash, police attended to a series of incidents, including rammed homes and vehicles set on fire during a vigil. Approximately 200 officers from outside Cleveland Police have been drafted in to assist the force in tackling organised crime.
Home Secretary's Statement
Mahmood assured that "lawlessness of any kind" would not be tolerated and announced the additional funding, recognising the challenges faced by the force. She also paid tribute to the fallen officers and acknowledged the fear among law-abiding citizens in the community.
Criticised Funding Announcement
Conservative MP Chris Philp criticised the £2m as "wholly inadequate" and voiced concerns about the overall funding shortfall for Cleveland Police. Labour's Matt Storey, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland, echoed this sentiment, stating that a "one-off payment" was not a sustainable solution. He called for an address to "deep-rooted funding inequalities", requesting at least £20m additional funding annually to recruit and retain more officers.
Government Response
Mahmood committed to reviewing the funding formula used to determine force allocations, noting that the previous government had reduced police numbers by 20,000 nationwide. She also acknowledged the high crime rate in Cleveland, as highlighted by Labour MP Andy McDonald.