Government gives Cleveland Police extra £2m to tackle serious crime
Cleveland Police is to receive an additional £2 million in Government funding to tackle serious crime following a series of major incidents in the force area.
The funding was announced by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood in Parliament on Monday. The announcement came after the deaths of Cleveland Police officers PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough, who were killed while on duty in a collision on the A66.
The officers died alongside five young men travelling in a stolen car.
The additional funding will be used to tackle serious crime in the area, with the Home Secretary acknowledging the difficult circumstances faced by the force and the wider community. The announcement follows a series of high-profile incidents in the Cleveland area that have caused concern locally.
The £2m is additional funding aimed specifically at tackling serious crime and comes on top of Cleveland Police’s existing funding settlement.
The Home Secretary announced the support as the force continues to deal with the aftermath of the recent deaths of the two officers and other serious incidents in the area.
Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner Matt Storey welcomed the additional funding but said the force continued to face significant financial pressures.
He said the funding was not enough to address the longer-term challenges facing the force and its ability to recruit additional officers.
The Government’s intervention was announced following recent events that have created what ministers described as a significant sense of concern within the local community.