Police must identify those at risk of becoming victims before they are targeted by criminals.
That's the view of the top cop in charge of policing the busiest streets and neighbourhoods on Tyneside. Chief Supt Helena Barron took on the role of Area Commander for Northumbria Police's Central Command last year, an area which covers the whole of Newcastle and Gateshead.
The officers working under her are responsible for preventing crime and keeping people safe in Newcastle's world famous nightspots, and in the diverse communities that surround it. And while covering an area which has everything from buzzing pubs and clubs to rural neighbourhoods Chief Supt Barron says it's essential officers on the ground are able to identify who is vulnerable and do everything they can to protect them, without waiting for concerns to be reported.
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She said: "Vulnerability is always top of the agenda. It's about knowing who's at risk and who is vulnerable, and asking are you doing everything you can to protect them. I expect the officers to doing this and and they do."
"We pride ourselves on being a neighbourhood force. We have got really high community confidence so people are more likely to report things to use. But we can't rely on people to always tell us."
Officers working across Newcastle and Gateshead are tasked with building up good relationships with the communities they serve. And Chief Supt Barron said information coming in from local people is key to planning how the area is policed.
"I'm responsible for Newcastle and Gateshead. It's quite a diverse community," she explained. " In Newcastle we have a very vibrant night-time economy and two universities with students living in and around the city.
"Then we have the more diverse communities of the West End of Newcastle. In Gateshead we have a smaller town centre, one of the country's largest Jewish communities and we have some rural areas as well. It's really diverse.
"But whilst they are diverse in nature the issues tend to be the same. It's anti-social behaviour, crime and sometimes community issues. There's never a dull day, there's always something happening and I have to make sure I have got my staff in the right place."
And close links with the community help police tackle problems before they become serious issues that people are reporting, Chief Supt Barron said. "I like to think that we have the community confidence and the intelligence coming in so we know what the problem is before it becomes something that the community is telling us about," she said.
"I can't think of a single thing where we thought 'Oh I didn't know that was happening' We are working to build a picture up all the time.
"It's really important for our officers to be reporting into their teams so we can start to build a picture of what's happening. It's all about getting the right approach for that area. We have to prioritise based on harm and risk.
"Every time something happens we learn from it."
While identifying vulnerable people in the communities of Newcastle and Gateshead is a stop priority, so is spotting people who could be at risk while enjoying a night out.
Chief Supt Barron explained that weekend policing in Newcastle City Centre is planned meticulously. And officers working in the city centre are trained to spot those who may have become vulnerable through drink, and to help make sure they get home safe.
"The night time economy is back to full strength. We have not seen the peaks and troughs we thought we would when the Covid restrictions were lifted. People are going out, but we were prepared for that and worked really closely with our partners to protect people," she said.
"We have a night time economy plan which runs every single weekend. We work a lot with our partners, we have the Street Pastors and Street Watch.
"And we work alongside the hotels, the door-staff and the licensed premises. They are totally on board with protecting people, looking for vulnerable people and helping prevent crime. We bring resources in from across the force."
Officers policing Newcastle's nightspots recognise that people who would not normally be classed as vulnerable can sometimes need to ben safe-guarded when they are on a night out.
Chief Supt Barron explained: "As a force we have really trained our staff how to look for and recognise vulnerability. What we see in the night time economy is sometimes the vulnerability is different.
"Somebody who isn't ordinarily classed as vulnerable can be in a vulnerable position. We can't deny that people sometimes drink and find themselves in a vulnerable position because of that. Even things like the weather can make people vulnerable. That's why we have the Safe Haven vehicle and the street pastors.
"It's all about making sure people get home safely. We work really closely with taxi firms too. The night time economy is fantastic as it's a real partnership effort."
