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Northumbria Police

North East · Territorial force · 3,700 officers

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Key Statistics

Officers

3,700

Staff

1,600

Area (sq miles)

2,113

Population served

1,470,000

About Northumbria Police

Covering Newcastle, Sunderland and surrounding areas. Consistently rated as a well-managed force with good community relations and an excellent cost of living for officers.

Founded 1974Source: Wikidata (CC0)

Northumbria Police is a territorial force covering the North East of England, including major urban areas such as Newcastle and Sunderland. The force operates within a diverse geographic landscape that includes vibrant cities and surrounding rural areas, providing a mix of urban policing challenges and community-oriented initiatives. Notably, Northumbria Police borders other forces, adding complexity to cross-border operations. It also serves critical transport networks and strategic locations, including the Port of Tyne and proximity to the military base at Catterick Garrison, enhancing its operational scope.

The force has several notable specialist units, including the Cyber Crime Unit, the Roads Policing Unit, and an Armed Response Unit, which reflect its commitment to tackling modern crime and ensuring public safety across multiple domains. Additionally, Northumbria Police places a strong emphasis on community engagement and safeguarding, making strides in working closely with local residents to address public concerns. Recent public-interest initiatives focus on tackling violence against women and girls, promoting mental health awareness, and enhancing community cohesion. These priorities demonstrate the force's proactive approach to modern policing, aiming to foster a safer environment for all residents and visitors in its jurisdiction.

Current priorities

  • Violence against women and girls
  • Mental health awareness
  • Community safety
  • Road safety initiatives

Notable specialisms

Cyber Crime UnitRoads Policing UnitArmed Response UnitDrugs Unit

Source: About Northumbria Police. Summary fetched 2026-07-05.

Public-data snapshot

Workforce

Officers

3,700

Staff

1,600

Total headcount

5,300

Source: Home Office Police Workforce Statistics as of 31 March 2025 · OGL v3

HMICFRS PEEL rating

good

Inspection cycle: 2023-2025

Source: HMICFRS PEEL assessments · Open Government Licence v3.0

From data.police.uk

data.police.uk covers England, Wales & Northern Ireland; not Police Scotland.

Engagement & social channels

Stop and search

Latest available month: 2026-08. 532 recorded stop-and-search records that month. Officer-defined ethnicity was recorded on 64.5% of records.

By object of search (2026-08)

Controlled drugs267
Stolen goods87
Offensive weapons80
(not recorded)39
Article for use in theft22
Articles for use in criminal damage17
Anything to threaten or harm anyone14
Firearms4
Evidence of offences under the Act2

By outcome (2026-08)

A no further action disposal345
Arrest125
Community resolution37
Summons / charged by post23
Caution (simple or conditional)1
Khat or Cannabis warning1

⭳ Download all forces' stop & search (CSV)

Source: data.police.uk · Open Government Licence v3.0

Recorded crime by category

14,130 crimes recorded by Northumbria Police in 2026-08 (latest published month), by category. Counted from the published street-level archive; England, Wales & Northern Ireland only.

Crime type (2026-08)Recorded
Violence and sexual offences3,796
Anti-social behaviour2,813
Shoplifting2,289
Criminal damage and arson1,291
Public order1,097
Other theft640
Vehicle crime590
Burglary570
Other crime330
Drugs225
Robbery195
Possession of weapons118
Bicycle theft93
Theft from the person83
Total14,130

Source: data.police.uk street-level archive · Open Government Licence v3.0

Deaths during or following police contact

IOPC-recorded fatalities involving Northumbria Police over 2004/05 to 2024/25 (2024/25 in brackets). These use the IOPC’s five categories, which have different definitions and are not additive. Figures count incidents the IOPC attributed to Northumbria Police; see the national page for how multi-force incidents are handled.

Road traffic: 14 (2024/25: 1)Fatal shootings: 2 (2024/25: 0)In/following custody: 17 (2024/25: 0)Apparent suicides: 44 (2024/25: 2)Other contact: 30 (2024/25: 0)

Recruitment

How to join Northumbria Police

Application stages, entry routes, fitness and vetting requirements.

Open data for this force

Specialist Units

Northern Area Command
Firearms
Roads Policing
Dog Section
Major Crime Team

Official Sources

Topics for Northumbria Police

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