Here's why the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is in our region today

The Home Secretary will join officers from Durham Constabulary on a patrol around Durham city centre where she will also be engaging with local businesses and people in the local community to hear their concerns.

The Safer Streets initiative is to “prevent crime and antisocial behaviour in town centres and ensure visible, meaningful consequences for those responsible”.

Police and Crime Commissioners, including Durham’s Joy Allen, and deputy mayors have submitted delivery plans on how they and local partners intend to keep town centres safe this summer across their force areas.

The initiative was launched after a shocking rise in town centre thefts and incidents.

Between December 2022 and December 2024 shop thefts increased by more than 60% whilst thefts from individual people doubled in this time. During this period, shop-workers have also suffered increasing amounts of violence and abuse.

Speaking about the initiative Yvette Cooper said: “High streets and town centres are the very heart of our communities. Residents and businesses have the right to feel safe in their towns. But the last government left a surge in shop theft, street crime and anti-social behaviour which has left too many town centres feeling abandoned.

“It’s time to turn this round, that’s why I have called on police forces and councils alike to work together to deliver a summer blitz on town centre crime to send a clear message to those people who bring misery to our towns that their crimes will no longer go unpunished.

“The fact that 500 towns have signed up shows the strength of feeling on this issue.

“Through our Safer Streets Mission and Plan for Change, we are putting officers back on the beat where you can see them and making our town centres safe again.”