South Tyneside Welcomes New Area Commander

South Tyneside Council has welcomed a new Chief Superintendent, who will head up policing in the borough.

Leader, Cllr Tracey Dixon and Chief Executive Jonathan Tew invited Chief Superintendent Aelfwynn Sampson to South Shields Town Hall.

The meeting followed an announcement that Northumbria Police's area commands would now align to local authority areas, with a dedicated team for South Tyneside.

Cllr Tracey Dixon said: "We were delighted to welcome Aelfwynn and look forward to working closely together.

"We already have excellent relationships with our police partners, and we hope we can further strengthen them to tackle the issues that really matter to South Tyneside residents.

"Having a dedicated policing team for the borough means we will be able to further focus on the areas local people really want us to prioritise - things like anti-social behaviour, which we know is a real concern for residents.

"Our approach in South Tyneside is one of prevention and early intervention. Through close partnerships, shared knowledge, expertise, and intelligence we can prevent issues or address them immediately to keep our communities safe."

South Tyneside previously shared a policing area command with Sunderland, however the new structure came into effect earlier this month.

Area Commander for South Tyneside, Chief Superintendent Aelfwynn Sampson, said: "Here at Northumbria Police, we are very much one Force, working collectively to keep people safe and to fight crime.

"However, we know that our communities have their own identities and issues which matter most to them.

"Moving to a local authority-based policing structure will further ensure we can be there when the public need us - and deliver an outstanding service to our communities.

"It will also strengthen our existing partnerships across South Tyneside, with a focus on prevention of crime and problem solving.

"I am really looking forward to working with the council and our fantastic partners in my new role."

Aelfwynn started her career in Durham Constabulary before transferring to Northumbria Police in 2017. She has previously worked in South Tyneside as the Detective Chief Inspector for Safeguarding and while in Northumbria has worked mainly in the Crime, Criminal Justice and Safeguarding departments.