The Police

Coxhoe Community Safety

Coxhoe Parish Council works with the Police to help reduce crime, the fear of crime and anti social behaviour in our villages. Community safety has been one of the communities’ and Parish Council’s main priorities in the Parish Plan. Members have worked directly with the Police to address issues that have arisen and as a result they have been resolved.

If issues are raised with us which are the responsibility of the Police, we will raise them directly with them on your behalf as we do not have the powers or authority to address them. It is always best for you to raise issues directly with the police as soon as they happen.

You can raise issues directly with the Police. Indeed the Police want you to do so. If they know what is going on they can best use their resources to tackle the problem. Residents and businesses have a responsibility of reporting any incident of crime or anti-social behaviour to the Police. in cases of non-emergencies you can contact the police on 101 or 0345 6060365.

The Police can also be accessed through the Durham Constabulary Website.

Latest News

Commissioner publishes Police, Crime and Victims’ Plan 2018 to 2021

Durham’s Police, Crime and Victims Commissioner has published his plan for 2019 to 2021. The plan sets out his Vision, the outcomes he wishes to achieve, and twelve key priorities which he will focus on over the period to 2021.

The refreshed plan builds on the foundations of the previous plan, and once again emphasises the role of the PCVC in holding the Constabulary to account.

The Plan sets the new vision, which is: “County Durham and Darlington are areas where all communities are safe, victims and vulnerable people feel supported, crime and reoffending are low, and people have confidence in policing and the criminal justice system’.

The plan introduces four ‘outcomes’, replacing the three ‘aims’ in the previous plan. This change emphasises the importance of delivery, in partnership. It also takes the objectives of the Local Criminal Justice Partnership (LCJP) Plan, and the action plans of the two Community Safety Partnerships and associates them with the new outcomes of the Plan. The new plan therefore represents real co-delivery by a wide partnership of organisations.

Putting victims first remains the golden thread of the plan, with a stronger emphasis on reducing re-offending.

You can access the Police, Crime and Victims Plan 2018 to 2021

Coxhoe and Quarrington Hill PACT Meetings

Durham Constabulary are dedicated to making your neighbourhood safer. If you have any issues affecting your quality of life and want to discuss it with your neighbourhood Policing Team then get involved in your local PACT (Police and Community Together) meeting. This is an informal discussion with the police and local partners to resolve the issues where you live.

The meetings are run and are attended by a representative from your neighbourhood policing team and will be specific to your area and individual neighbourhood priorities will be discussed. All members of the community are welcome. There are separate meetings in Coxhoe and Quarrington Hill. You can find out dates and times of meetings from the Durham Constabulary website.

New Police Number – 101

There is a new Police non emergency number that you can now call to assist in reporting crimes. This is 101.

When to call 101?

You should call 101 to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response. 101 has been introduced as part of the government’s wider work to improve access to the police, ease pressure on 999, and help to efficiently and effectively tackle crime and disorder. For example, you should call 101 if:

Your car has been stolen
Your property has been damaged
You suspect drug use or dealing in your neighbourhood

Or to:

Report a minor traffic collision
Give the police information about crime in your area
Speak to the police about a general enquiry

What is the difference between 101 and 999?

You should continue to call 999 when it is an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, someone suspected of a crime is nearby, when there is danger to life or when violence is being used or threatened. To contact the police for any other reason, call 101.

What does it cost to call 101?

Calls to 101 (from both landlines and mobile networks) cost 15 pence per call, no matter what time of day you call, or how long you are on the phone.

Why does it cost 15p to call 101?

The 15p cost of the call goes to the telephony providers to cover the cost of carrying the calls. The police and government receive no money from calls to 101. Everyone calling the police for non-emergency matters now knows exactly how much a call will cost them, and can be assured of equal access whether they are on a pay-as-you-go mobile or a home landline.

Who will answer my 101 call?

Calls to 101 are answered by police officers and staff in the control room of the local police force. This ensures that staff with local knowledge can answer and deal with the calls and respond appropriately.

Will I be put through to a large national call centre?

No. When you call 101, the system will determine your location and connect you to the police force covering that area. You will hear a recorded message announcing the police force you are being connected to. If you are on a boundary between two or more forces, the recorded message will give you a choice of which force to be connected to.

I am deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired, can I call 101?

Yes, you can textphone 18001 101.

What if English is not my first language?

Your local police have access to professional interpreters so they can quickly translate your call if you have difficulty speaking English.

What about reporting general nuisance or environmental issues?

You should continue to call Durham County Council for things like:

• Reporting graffiti
• Dog fouling
• Abandoned vehicles
• Dumping and fly tipping
• Vandalism

Local Crime Website

If you are interested in knowing about crime rates in your area then the Police have developed a new website to let you access this information quickly. The site provides information about the type of crime as well as local police contact information. Why not check out the national police website and type in your postcode or address? There’s even a new ‘app’ for the iPhone now where you can get information.