Cleveland Police receive £2m extra funding after A66 crash and crime spike
BBC News Report
Cleveland Police have been allocated an additional £2m to tackle serious crime following a spate of incidents in the wake of a fatal crash that claimed the lives of seven people, including two police officers.
The announcement was made by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood after Prime Minister Andy Burnham expressed his tribute to the fallen officers and acknowledged the challenges faced by Cleveland Police.
On 22 August, PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough died when a Volkswagen Passat traveling the wrong way on the A66 near Middlesbrough collided with their vehicle. Five men in the Volkswagen also lost their lives.
Since then, the force has made 27 arrests for activities linked to "serious and organised crime". Approximately 200 police officers from outside Cleveland have been drafted in to assist them.
In the aftermath of the crash, police dealt with a series of incidents, including homes being rammed and vehicles set on fire during a vigil.
Home Secretary's Statement
Mahmood stated: "In light of the situation the force has faced, we will allocate an additional £2m to Cleveland Police to tackle serious crime in the area." She expressed her recognition of the challenging climate for law-abiding citizens in the community and pledged to do everything possible to support them.
However, Conservative MP Chris Philp criticised the funding as "wholly inadequate" and raised concerns about the general funding shortfall facing Cleveland Police.
Cleveland's Labour Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Matt Storey, disagreed with the one-off payment, arguing that it failed to address the chronic underfunding of policing in Cleveland. He called for a review of the government's funding formula and highlighted the need for an annual increase of at least £20m to recruit and retain more officers.
Additional Context
Mahmood also committed to reviewing the funding formula used to determine police force budgets, noting that the previous government had reduced national officer numbers by 20,000.
Middlesbrough MP Andy McDonald drew attention to Cleveland Police's high crime rate, citing figures showing approximately 123 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents, despite receiving a significant reduction in officers since 2010.