1. History

2. Developments

3. Controversy

4. Chief Constables

5. Officers killed in the line of duty

6. Force helicopter

7. See also

8. References

9. External links

Cleveland Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the area of former county of Cleveland in north east England. The Cleveland Police area covers approximately {{convert|230|sqmi|km2}} and has a population of over 554,000.

As of September 2017, the force had 1,274 police officers, 278 police staff, 124 police community support officers and 64 special constables.^[3] In terms of officer numbers, Cleveland Police is the 12th smallest of the 48 police forces of the United Kingdom. Geographically, its area of responsibility is the second smallest of the territorial police forces with only the City of London Police having a smaller police area.

Cleveland Police area is divided into four local policing areas (LPAs), previously known as districts, which are coterminous with the four unitary authorities of Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton-on-Tees. These LPAs are split between North and South of the River Tees for operational purposes. The force is responsible for policing a predominantly urban, densely populated area, closely resembling metropolitan authorities in socio-economic characteristics and policing needs.

The Cleveland Criminal Justice Area is a major production centre for the chemical industry, which results in the large-scale transport by road, rail and sea of hazardous substances. The chemical industry remains a key economic factor and presents the force, other emergency services and partners with a significant major incident risk.

History

The force was established as Cleveland Constabulary on 1 April 1974, covering the newly created county of Cleveland (which was abolished on 1 April 1996, being replaced with the four unitary authorities). It was renamed Cleveland Police, from Cleveland Constabulary.

It is a successor to the Teesside Constabulary, and also the York and North East Yorkshire Police, which existed before 1974, and also took over part of Durham Constabulary. The police area is the second smallest geographically, after the area covered by the City of London Police.

Under proposals made by the Home Secretary on 6 February 2006, a proposal for a merger with Northumbria Police and Durham Constabulary to form a single strategic police force for the North East England was suggested but there was no support for this. Cleveland Police favoured merging with the southern area of Durham Constabulary.^[4] In July 2006, the plans to merge the three forces were scrapped.

Developments

On 31 January 2007, the new headquarters in Middlesbrough were opened, boasting a 50-cell custody unit including a purpose-built prevention of terrorism suite, one of only three in the country. It has been designed to increase the speed and safety of detainee handling with secure vehicle docking, video links to court and CCTV links in all cells for improved prisoner safety.

The Middlesbrough headquarters is the centrepiece of Cleveland Police Authority’s multi-million pound private finance initiative project which has also seen a new headquarters for Redcar and Cleveland district and new town offices in Redcar and South Bank. The building, which was officially opened by the then Home Secretary John Reid, is seen as not only the spearhead to policing Cleveland in the 21st century but also the gateway to the regeneration of the St Hilda’s area of the town and the flagship Middlehaven project.^[5]

In 2008 Cleveland Police launched its volunteer scheme, by which members of the local community can offer a minimum of 4 hours a week helping the force. As the scheme progresses more roles are expected to become available.

On 5 January 2009 the force launched its cadets programme, something which many other police forces have operated for some years.

There are 20 places available in each district, and the cadets will meet each week in groups run by Police Officers, Police Community Support Officers, Youth Workers and Volunteers. There will also be the chance to gain recognised qualifications, such as the Duke of Edinburgh Award.

Since 2010 Cleveland Police and neighbouring Durham Constabulary have shared road policing and firearms teams through a joint Specialist Operations Unit. These officers are based at Cleveland's base at Wynyard Park Business Park and Durham's station in Spennymoor.^[6] Durham and Cleveland Police have shared a Tactical Training Centre in Urlay Nook, near Durham Tees Valley Airport, since 2001.

In January 2019, chief constable Mike Veale resigned after being referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) on a matter of "serious allegations" of misconduct.^[9]

Controversy

In 2007 it was reported that Detective Constable Steve Pennington who was convicted of a drink driving offence in 2000, and subsequently jailed for four months, had been granted a £500,000 pay off by the force, garnering much criticism from members of the public and anti drink driving campaigns.^[7][8]

In April 2012, Cleveland Police admitted liability for "malicious prosecution" and were ordered to pay out over £841,000, one of the largest compensation sums in UK police history. The court was told former PC Sultan Alam was "stitched up" by fellow officers after he launched industrial tribunal proceedings in 1993, complaining of racial discrimination following a series of incidents that included a Ku Klux Klan poster being left on his desk. Cleveland Police admitted that officers suppressed evidence that lead to Mr Alam being wrongfully imprisoned for conspiracy to steal motor parts and enduring a 17-year battle to clear his name.^[9] Mr Alam, who was, as of 2012, considering a position in public office, did not believe that the force had improved and stated that racism had gone "underground", with ethnic minorities being denied the same opportunities as their white colleagues.^[10]

In August 2012 it was reported that an unnamed officer from the force was on Police bail after being arrested on suspicion of carrying out 'substandard' work, potentially undermining 90 criminal cases and also perverting the court of justice.^[11] The Independent Police Complaints Commission was apparently investigating the claims.

In October 2012 the force's Chief Constable, Sean Price, was sacked after being found guilty of deceit and misconduct. He was dismissed from his £190,000 a year job (one of the highest rates in the country for a Chief Constable), having been suspended in August 2011 on full pay.^[12][13][14]

In May 2013, Cleveland Police agreed to pay a settlement of £550,000 to James Watson, a Middlesbrough solicitor who sued them for false imprisonment after being detained for almost 30 hours.^[15]

Chief Constables

• 1974–1976 : Ralph Davison^[16]
• 1976–1990 : Christopher Payne^[16]
• 1990–1993 : Keith Hellawell^[16]
• 1993–2003 : Barry D. Shaw^[17]
• 2003–2012 : Sean Price, (dismissed for gross misconduct)^[18]
• 2013-2016 : Jacqui Cheer
• 2016–2018 : Iain Spittal^[19]
• 2018–2019 : Mike Veale^[20]
• 2019 : Lee Freeman (Interim Chief Constable following Mike Veale’s sudden departure)

Officers killed in the line of duty

The Police Roll of Honour Trust^[21] lists and commemorates all British police officers killed in the line of duty. The Police Memorial Trust, since its establishment in 1984, has erected over 38 memorials to some of those officers.

Since 1893 the following officers of Cleveland Police were killed while attempting to prevent or stop a crime in progress:^[22]

• Police Constable William Henderson, 1893 (shot attempting to disarm a man).

Force helicopter

Cleveland was a member of the North East Air Support Unit helicopter sharing agreement with neighbouring Durham Constabulary and Northumbria Police in which all three forces shared two helicopters, one based at Newcastle Airport and the other at Durham Tees Valley Airport.

In 2008 Durham and Northumbria decided that just one helicopter based at Newcastle Airport would be enough. Cleveland disagreed saying that this resource would be based many miles away from Cleveland and would leave it at a disadvantage, and would not agree to the proposal.

As a result Durham and Northumbria decided to leave the consortium of the three forces, leaving Cleveland to fund its own helicopter costing £500,000.

On 1 April 2009, the former North East Air Support Unit agreement officially ended, and the Cleveland Air Operations Unit was formed.^[23]

Cleveland Police have released a website of what the helicopter has been attending to.

See also

• Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner
• List of police forces in the United Kingdom
• Policing in the United Kingdom

References

External links

• Force web site
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20060212200913/http://www.clevelandpa.org.uk/ Cleveland Police Authority]

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