More than 100,000 anti-social behaviour incidents were not attended by Northumbria Police officers in the past four years, it has been revealed.
The percentage of anti-social behaviour reports across Tyne and Wear and Northumberland that resulted in a police officer visiting the scene of the incident has dipped from 60% in 2019 to 45% in 2022, with more than 23,000 unattended last year. The figures were uncovered by freedom of information requests from the Liberal Democrats, who have accused Labour’s Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Kim McGuinness of “losing control”.
Ms McGuinness said the data showed the “reality of plummeting police budgets” and that resources were “stretched beyond belief”. In 2019, Northumbria Police sent officers to 28,113 out of 46,762 anti-social behaviour incidents – compared to 18,765 out of 42,044 in 2022. Cleveland Police attended 47% of incidents last year, while Durham’s figure was much higher at 71%.
