Tax hike to pay for policing

Cleveland Police wants more beat officers

Cleveland Police is to get a 25% increase in it's share of council tax to combat rising crime.

Chief Constable Barry Shaw - who retires from his post in March - says the extra cash will pay for more officers on the beat and more community police staff.

Cleveland Police Authority met on Thursday to agree the force's budget for the next financial year.

Mr Shaw said he was "delighted" with the increase the force is to get.

Crime reduction

On Wednesday it was revealed the number of violent and weapons offences in the force area had jumped sharply in 2002, but overall crime rates had dropped by 0.3%.

The authority says crime reduction in towns like Middlesbrough and Stockton, can only be mirrored throughout Hartlepool and Langbaurgh if they have extra cash.

Cleveland Police plans to deploy an extra 60 officers and create specialised mobile hit squads targeting anti-social behaviour.

The force also plans to provide 15 extra community support officers to each authority area.