Fatal crash police get £2m to tackle serious crime

Two Cleveland Police officers and five others were killed in a car crash on the A66 near Middlesbrough on August 22. The force has since made several arrests in connection with serious and organised crime linked to the incident. In response, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced £2 million in additional funding for Cleveland Police to tackle the serious crime in the area.

Local politicians have criticized the funding, with Conservative MP Chris Philp calling it "wholly inadequate" and a Labour PCC calling it "insulting and performative." Cleveland Police's Labour PCC, Matt Storey, argued that a one-off payment does not address the long-term underfunding and called for a £20 million annual increase to recruit and retain more officers.

He criticised the current funding formula, which fails to consider high levels of poverty and deprivation in the force area. Storey wants the government to address funding inequalities now, rather than waiting for a policing reform inquiry in 2034.

Cleveland Police has received help from about 200 officers from different forces following the crash. The force has faced a series of incidents, including homes being rammed and vehicles set on fire during a vigil. The Home Secretary has stated her commitment to reviewing the funding formula and blamed the previous government for cutting officer numbers nationally.

Labour MP Andy McDonald highlighted that Cleveland Police has the highest crime rate in England and Wales and called for urgent and permanent resolution of the funding shortfalls.