DURHAM Police’s new chief constable had the chance to gain a deeper insight into rural issues after visiting Teesdale.
Jo Farrell, who took up the helm of the force in June and became the first female chief in the force’s 180-year history, welcomed the opportunity to hear first-hand from the communities she serves and took a trip to Middleton-in-Teesdale. Mrs Farrell met members of Utass (Upper Teesdale Agricultural Support Services), Teesdale Area Partnership and Middleton-in-
Teesdale Primary School who support rural residents and understand the unique issues they face.
Mrs Farrell, who was deputy chief constable under Mike Barton for three years, said she has no intention of being a carbon copy of her former boss, although she “learned a lot from him” . She added her focus will be on “high impact” crime and is keen to ensure there is support in place for victims and her officers.
She said: “Durham Police is an outstanding force and there always improvements to be made. I’m not trying to follow in Mike’s footsteps – I learnt a lot from him and one thing it (Durham Police)
doesn’t need is big change and I don’t want that. People lifting things from supermarkets are not a priority for me. Problem solving, which can help to stop the recurrence of crime, is important.”
During her visit Mrs Farrell learned more about the partnerships in Teesdale including Utass, which works closely with the police with regular drop-in sessions at the Chapel Terrace offices.
Utass has been instrumental in providing support for domestic abuse victims and offer support for anyone affected as well as linking with Durham Police’s Sorry’s Not Enough campaign.
She also heard about recent projects such as Rural Watch, which has been instrumental to tackling crime with a new WhatsApp group which allows residents to share information and intelligence.
Mrs Farrell added: “As a force, we serve a large rural community and I was delighted to be invited to come and hear first-hand what the issues are for residents in Teesdale and look for ways of how we can help support groups such as Utass in their unique approach to helping others. Diane Spark, from Utass, said: “We are extremely confident that we can build further on our existing good relationships and partnership working with the police.”
Teesdale Insp Ed Turner said: “It gave us all the opportunity to come together and look at ways we can work to build on the strong foundation organisations such as Utass have, and move forward. For the chief to come out so early in her new role clearly demonstrates the commitment she has to rural residents.”
