Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen has welcomed the huge strides being made by safety partners in Darlington to crackdown on street violence and sexual offences – issues consistently prioritised by the public.
A snapshot progress report provided by Durham Constabulary on behalf of Darlington Community Safety Partnership (CSP) covering October to December 2025 reveals overall crime in the town fell 6.6% compared to the same period the previous year.
Violent crime, meanwhile, fell 10.8% while possession of weapons offences plummeted 58.3% during the quarter.
In other success, sexual offences fell 14.3%, fly-tipping reduced by 37.6% and street begging fell by 67.2%.
There was further good news reported in public perceptions of safety, with the CSP’s recent ‘Pride in Place’ survey revealing more than six in ten people (66%) feel very safe or safe in their communities in Darlington.
The PCC works closely with the force and a broad range of community safety partners including health, education and youth offending professionals to address issues that are consistently raised by residents as impacting their lives and safety in Darlington.
This year, the Commissioner secured £1m from the Home Office to expand the roll out of extra ‘hotspot’ policing patrols across Darlington and beyond in communities with long-standing anti-socialbehaviour (ASB) and other street crimes to deliver the strong and visible local policing residents ask for. These have been delivered in conjunction with partnership patrols to promote shared approaches to issues.
The PCC recently invested in two state-of-the-art anti-crime pods to tackle retail crime, anti-social behaviour and violence against shopworkers in Darlington. The mobile, visible intruder detection units monitor activity inside or outside a store via a ground level CCTV system to tackle shoplifting and help to prevent abuse and assaultsa gainst retail staff and shopworkers and increase their confidence and security.
The Commissioner continues to invest in Problem-Solving Oriented Policing (POP) Plans across Darlington and the force area to support partnership action to address key safety issues including the Government’s Winter Nights initiative in Darlington and countywide.
More recently, the PCC announced investment in a new drug education pilot which will see Wyvern and Houghton Academies in Darlington and two in Durham trailblazing student and parenting workshops run by drug and alcohol education charity Daniel Spargo Mabbs Foundation to help parents, carers and their children understand the harm of illegal drugs and new training to support teaching staff to better identify and support pupils at risk. The initiative includes a powerful live theatre performance of ‘I Love You, Mum - I Promise I Won't Die’ recounting the tragic story of 16-year-old Daniel Spargo-Mabbs who died from an accidental overdose of ecstasy and the lifelong impact his death had on his family and friends.
Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen said: “Community safety is a shared responsibility, and these impressive results demonstrate the value in working together as a united team to make our communities the safe, strong and resilient places we all want them to be.
“Through examining problems collaboratively and coordinating our expertise and resources towards a shared vision, we can make a tangible impact on the lives of both perpetrators and victims, prevent the revolving door of crime and address the vulnerabilities that put individuals at risk of repeat victimisation. This is happening everyday in Darlington; on our streets, in our schools, and in our health, justice and youth settings, and the efforts of officers, volunteers and safety partners must be applauded.
“As pleasing as this recent progress is, we can and will do more. We will continue to listen to residents who know their neighbourhoods best and will proactively target the issues that are preventing their communities and those who live in them from truly thriving.”
Ch Supt Stephen Long, Chair of the Darlington Community Safety Partnership, added: “The continued reduction in crime and anti-social behaviour across Darlington is a clear testament to the strength of our partnership approach.
“By working closely with statutory agencies, voluntary sector and residents, we have been able to take proactive, targeted action that delivers real results.
“This success reflects a long-standing and shared commitment to making Darlington a safer place for everyone, and we will continue building on this momentum together.”
Councillor Jim Garner, Darlington Borough Council’s cabinet member for stronger communities, said: “A key element of our Council Plan is to ensure happy, safe and secure communities with improved safety in public spaces. We know that we can’t achieve this on our own and the progress made has come from working closely with our partners and the wider community – residents, organisations and businesses. I’m pleased to say that this collaborative approach is already making a positive impact in Darlington.
“I would like to thank all those who have been involved with the Community Safety Partnership so far and look forward to continuing to work together and strengthening our partnership in the future.”’
Ends
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