£1m crime-fighting facility launched in the North East

A new crime-fighting facility is to be created for the North East Regional Special Operations Unit (NERSOU) with the help of £1 million in government funding.

The Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU) will aim to bring several law enforcement agencies together under one roof, becoming the new headquarters where police can tackle serious and organised crime.

The facility will act as a hub where specialist teams from Northumbria, Durham and Cleveland police forces, the National Crime Agency (NCA), and other law enforcement partners will lead the region’s response to a range of threats.

The ROCU will significantly enhance the region’s capability in crimes such as drug trafficking, human trafficking, organised illegal immigration, firearms, high value fraud, cyber crime, child sexual exploitation and terrorism.

Security Minister Ben Wallace said: “Serious and organised crime is corrosive and undermines the very fabric of our society. Families across the North East have been subjected to misery at the hands of criminals who exploit young women and children, trade in illegal drugs and rob the elderly of their life savings.

“This new unit will enable the police and partner agencies across the region to build on previous successes and provide a more efficient response to the threat posed by highly sophisticated crime groups that infiltrate our communities and operate by fear and intimidation.

“The expertise of specially trained officers within a single hub will also ensure our intelligence picture across the region develops at pace and significantly undermines the efforts of those who pose a threat to our national security.”