Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen has commended officers' 'relentless' commitment in making the county safer as new figures highlight 'significant' reductions in both neighbourhood crime and serious violence.
The performance update, covering October to December 2024, indicates notable improvements in areas prioritised by the local community.
Neighbourhood crime, which encompasses robbery, burglary, theft from the person and vehicle crime, saw a 22.3 per cent decrease during the final quarter of 2024 in comparison to the same period in 2023.
Further comparisons of 'violence against the person' offences between April to June 2024 (Q1) and October to December 2024 (Q3) reveal a continued decline at a rate of 13.1 per cent, while violence with injury offences also fell by 6.1 per cent.
An improvement was also seen in the speed of response to 999 calls, with the percentage answered within 10 seconds rising to 86.8 per cent.
This is attributed to the investment in additional control room staff and advanced technology, supported by the commissioner.
In another development, a new IT platform was introduced to automatically update victims of crime via text or email with relevant information about their case and access to support.
This initiative allows victims to register on the self-service Durham Portal after reporting a crime to track progress and contact the officer handling their case, increasing their trust and making them feel more supported.
PCC Allen said: "Our neighbourhood officers are working tirelessly to disrupt crimes that cause misery for our communities.
"They deserve full credit for these reductions and for the robust proactive work they are undertaking with the community and partners to make County Durham and Darlington safer."
She also praised the ongoing improvements in call-handling, stating that residents should expect to receive an effective and urgent service when they call for help.
She added that call handling will continue to be an area of intense scrutiny within her office, and she will continue to work closely with the chief constable to build on this success in the future.
The Q3 performance report further shows the force's efforts in proactive enforcement to support the PCC's road safety priorities.
More than 8,000 motorists were caught speeding in Q3, while roads policing officers continued to carry out drink and drug drive checks throughout December as part of the national Operation Limit, undertaking 1,489 voluntary roadside tests which resulted in 14 arrests.
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Outside of the voluntary checks, there were a total of 130 arrests.
In tackling antisocial behaviour, more than 4,000 hours of extra hotspot policing patrols were carried out in 'hotspot' areas between October and December 2024 as part of the national pilot.
These resulted in 43 arrests and a variety of other sanctions including fixed penalty notices and information warnings.
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