Arrests for carrying weapons, drugs and shoplifting have taken place on South Tyneside’s public transport

Northumbria Police rolled out Operation Princess in response to anti-social behaviour (ASB) and crime concerns raised by residents, commuters and business owners in the coastal areas of South Tyneside.

Operation Princess saw Police Commissioner Kim McGuinness’s Safer Transport Northumbria Project team work with officers, Nexus and South Tyneside Council to deliver a range of crime fighting measures

The operation saw acquisitive crime, where largest groups were using the Metro to commit high value shoplifts, fall by 81%.

It also saw public order offences drop by 50% during the six-week period.

Operation Princess also saw more than 1,500 people pass through a knife arch, 38 stop checks were carried out and 14 stop and searches were made as part of proactive efforts to catch offenders.

Funding for the operation was secured by the PCC’s office to help boost resources, improve police visibility, implement knife arches and bring in further support from the Multi Agency Transport Team.

Kim McGuinness, the Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, commented: “This operation really has been a job well done. Not only do the numbers speak for themselves but residents and transport bosses have told me so.

“It’s been a well delivered mix of catching people, detecting crime, and improving people’s general feelings of safety on and around our public transport networks in the area.

“Reliable, affordable, and crucially, safe – that’s what people tell me they want from public transport and I’m making it my mission.

“I’m working with others to map out more plans and solutions to keep bettering our public transport and I will be fighting for more funding so we can deliver more work like Operation Princess.

“Safer transport really matters to the people of South Tyneside, and it matters to me.”

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Councillor Jim Foreman, lead member for Housing and Community Safety at South Tyneside Council, has praised the collaborative work in reducing crime on the borough’s public transport network.

Cllr Foreman said: “Public transport is so important for people to access jobs, learning and social opportunities and everyone should feel safe and secure on our networks.

“This operation was a great example of collaborative working with our partners to deter anti-social behaviour and crime on the system and its knock-on effect on South Tyneside, by providing a visible, reassuring presence in and around the Metro.”

The Safer Transport Northumbria Project has delivered more than £1m worth of projects to drive down crime on public transport across the Northumbia area since it was launched two years ago.