Commissioner’s team joins national operation to safeguard girls
Unique work tackling girls being groomed by gangs on London’s railways has put the Commissioner’s team on the national stage.
The Early Intervention Team were invited to the capital recently to share learnings from Northamptonshire with the British Transport Police (BTP) and take part in a joint operation at King’s Cross and London St Pancras to identify victims of county lines exploitation concealing weapons or drugs.
It’s the work of the Commissioner’s dedicated team and Northamptonshire Police’s Youth Violence Intervention Unit, with a dedicated Girls’ Pathway, which resonated nationally.
British Transport Police Detective Superintendent David Udomhiaye said: “It’s massively important to have an embedded stakeholderteam within our taskforces on operations, they give us perspective, and we look at an incident from a safeguarding lens first.
“Our goal is not to criminalise children but to safeguard and protect them as soon as possible and then to go after who are exploiting them. Having our partners with us is crucial to achieve that aim.”
The partnership follows targeted work with Danielle Stone’s team and BTP at Kettering and Northampton stations for the past 18 months.
The Girls’ Pathway was launched after Danielle’s specialists spoke to girls in custody through a pilot project.
Youth teams found some girls were being groomed through their relationships, peers and social media.
Now, they help to safeguard young girls, who often go unnoticed compared to boys, and reduce their risk of serious violence going forward.
Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone said: “This national spotlight reflects the impact the Girls’ Pathway has already created in a short space of time in Northamptonshire.”
Commissioner thanks volunteers for overseeing standards in custody
Danielle Stone has thanked her team of Independent Custody Visitors (ICVs) for the valuable work they do to ensure Police Custody is running as it should.
Bev Wright-Douglas receiving her certificate for the impressive service she has given as an ICV from Commissioner Danielle Stone
ICVs make weekly unannounced visits to each of the two custody suites in the county, to check that people held there are being treated in a fair and dignified way.
Between 1st April 2025 and 31st March 2026, 12,753 people were held in the custody centres in Northamptonshire. A total of 95 visits took place in this time by ICV volunteers, and they saw 345 detainees.
Danielle has written a personal note of thanks to each of the 23 ICV volunteers and recently attended a thank you event to recognise the valuable contribution they make and present them with certificates.
One of the ICVs, Bev Wright-Douglas, said: “I absolutely love it. I started off wanting to know more about the Police and making sure that people were being treated fairly in custody – but I have learned so much more in the years since.
“I feel like I am giving something back to my community. So, I would encourage anyone to think about becoming an ICV, and there’s training available to help you in the role.”
Danielle Stone added: “Many of the members who volunteer to be an ICV have been doing so for a considerable number of years. The scheme could not run without them.
“The ICV scheme is one of my statutory responsibilities and I rely on each of our ICV volunteers to ensure that not only I, but the public, can have confidence in how the police deal with people held in custody.
“I then hold the Chief Constable to account where findings show any serious or ongoing issues.
“ICVs play a vital role in ensuring standards are maintained, so I am extremely thankful to the volunteers who give their time to this important work and area of scrutiny.”
Anyone interested in applying to join the scheme can find out more at www.northantspfcc.org.uk
Community Speedwatch now relaunched
Northamptonshire’s Community Speedwatch scheme has been relaunched to make it quicker and easier to set up and run a group.
Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone and Chief Constable Ivan Balhatchet visited a Speedwatch scheme to learn about the new kit
Community Speed Watch is a volunteer-led initiative run by Northamptonshire Police’s Safer Roads Team in partnership with Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone.
Groups joining the relaunched scheme pay £150, which is match funded by Danielle, to buy their own speed monitoring equipment. The new kit is convenient and easy to set up and run, and flexible enough to be used wherever and whenever works best for the group concerned.
The speed monitoring devices capture data, which is then collated and sent to the Northamptonshire Police Safer Roads Team. If speeding is detected, a warning letter is sent to the driver. Drivers who receive three warning letters may be visited by an ocer from the Safer Roads Team.
Danielle invited any community groups with concerns about speeding in their area to sign up to the scheme, which empowers them to play an active role in improving road safety.
She said: “I know speeding is a major concern across the county, and it is certainly a priority for me, which is why I decided to part fund this scheme.
“With new, easier to use, equipment, Community Speedwatch volunteers will have the flexibility they need to deter speeding drivers in their community.”
Any community that would benefit from the scheme and has a group of volunteers willing to take part, can visit: www.northants.police.uk/csw
Domestic abuse focus for rural communities
An initiative to raise awareness of domestic abuse in rural communities – and signpost survivors to support services – has secured grant funding from Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone.
Eve, a specialist domestic abuse charity based in Northamptonshire, has been awarded just under £10,000 to support the delivery of its Safe Horizons project.
Research by the National Rural Crime Network has found that domestic abuse in rural communities lasts 25% longer on average than in urban areas, while isolation in rural areas is often used as a weapon by abusers.
Danielle has also hosted several round table discussions in rural communities, where domestic violence was raised as potentially hidden in rural areas, and that people may have less access to information about services and did not know where to signpost survivors to for help.
Now the Commissioner has awarded grant funding to Eve through her Safe and Sound Communities Fund, which supports projects that underpin the aims of her public safety plan.
The grant funding will allow Eve to conduct presentations and talks over the next year, which will reach a range of groups in rural community venues across the county. It will also fund printed and social media materials that can be shared across the areas they have reached.
Christine Morgan, the CEO of Eve, said: “Through this project, we aim to improve awareness and visibility of Eve’s support services, ensuring that anyone affected by domestic abuse—no matter where they live—can access the help and safety they deserve.”
Fire Prevention team on hand to help rural communities with safety support
Community groups in rural areas across Northamptonshire are being urged to contact the Fire Service if they need fire, water and road safety support.
Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service’s dedicated Prevention team travels across the county to deliver safety information – and this can be tailored to rural communities.
Since last July, there have been 23 sessions delivered to rural community groups. These have included a dedicated Mature Drivers event for Brackley and the surrounding areas – and talks to village groups in the Oundle and Yarwell areas.
Now the Fire Service is reminding residents and community groups that it can be contacted to visit and deliver engaging safety sessions covering fire, road and water safety. Darren Carson, a Prevention Team Leader at the Fire Service, said: “Northamptonshire is a predominantly rural county. Two thirds of our road network is in rural areas, and we have more than 1,300km of waterways and rivers.
“We want to support the aims of Danielle’s Safe and Sound Plan – to be visible and accessible for all our communities, including those who live further away from our Fire Stations.”
If you know any community groups in your area that would benefit from having a visit from Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service, then you can call 01604 797000 and ask to speak to a member of the Prevention Team.
