Cleveland Police have moved to reassure communities after a week in which nine people, including two serving officers, died in separate incidents. The force has stressed that a fatal house fire and the A66 collision are not being linked as investigations continue.
A seven-year-old girl and her aunt died in a house fire on Wednesday, days after seven people were killed in a crash on the A66. Among those who died in the collision were Cleveland Police officers Pc Matthew Blades and Pc Tom Clough.
Force working around the clock
Assistant Chief Constable Dave Sutherland, who leads local policing at Cleveland Police, said officers and staff had continued working around the clock in the aftermath of the fatal A66 collision while also dealing with the tragic house fire.
He said: "Since the tragic incident last Saturday morning in which seven people, including two of our serving police officers, Pc Matthew Blades and Pc Tom Clough, sadly lost their lives, officers and staff have remained working around the clock to continue to serve the public of Cleveland."
"In the same week, we have also seen a tragic house fire on Wednesday in which two people lost their lives, which is also understandably impacting the force and our local communities. At this time, we are not linking this incident to the fatal collision on the A66."
National spotlight on policing
The two tragedies have thrust policing in Cleveland, and concerns about violence within local communities, into the national spotlight. ACC Sutherland acknowledged that officers continue to face considerable challenges, but stressed that the force remains resolute in its commitment to fighting crime and safeguarding communities.
He said: "Since these two horrific events, the reality of policing in Cleveland and the levels of violence suffered in our communities, has come under the spotlight on a national level."
"Brave officers face significant challenges day in day out, but I want to reassure the public that we will remain unwavering in our efforts to tackle criminals and protect our communities."
Additional resources and support
ACC Sutherland revealed that Cleveland Police had received additional backing from fellow forces and the National Crime Agency. He explained that the extra resources would enable the force to uphold its service to the public, while sustaining patrols in the worst-affected areas and maintaining a visible police presence for residents wishing to raise concerns with officers.
He said: "It's important to acknowledge the support and additional resource we are receiving from a number of other forces in the northern region and beyond, and also from the National Crime Agency."
Anna Turley, the MP for Redcar, revealed she had attended a briefing with Cleveland Police Chief Constable Victoria Fuller, who was keen to reassure the public that the force had sufficient resources at its disposal. Ms Turley acknowledged that residents were feeling alarmed within their communities following the recent events.
She said: "People are feeling frightened in their communities, and I've just come from a really important briefing with the chief constable, who said that 'I really want to reassure people that we have all the resources we need'."
"We have over 200 extra officers from all across the country who've come in and who are doing everything they can, and we've seen from the number of arrests so far already that they are taking action."
Ms Turley said she personally took comfort from the number of arrests made thus far and was adamant that the additional policing operation would be sustained well beyond the immediate crisis. She said: "This is not going to be a blip. These resources will be here for some time, and then the conversation should start about what we need to do going forward."
MP urges caution over assumptions
Ms Turley also emphasised that not every incident requiring police attendance was related to the broader investigation into organised crime. She cautioned against people drawing connections between recent events simply because of the heightened national focus on Cleveland.
She said: "I think it's really important to get across the fact that these incidents are not all linked. It could feel that way at the moment because of the national spotlight on us, but unfortunately, we know we've had a high level of crime in this area for a long time now. These are incidents, sadly, that we see all the time."
ACC Sutherland also expressed gratitude to members of the public for their support throughout what has been an exceptionally challenging week for officers, staff and the wider community. He said: "Lastly, I want to thank the general public. Our officers work closely with many corners of our communities on a daily basis to tackle issues in their local neighbourhoods, and whose support these past seven days has been overwhelming and very much appreciated."
