2025 has seen more great work across Northamptonshire from our emergency services. Here we look back at some highlights for Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone, in what was her first full 12 months in the role.
The year started with the appointment of Ivan Balhatchet as the Chief Constable of Northamptonshire Police in January. Danielle and Ivan went on a series of visits to town centres across the county shortly after, where they spoke with retailers and residents about issues including shoplifting, street drinking and other anti-social behaviour.
February saw Danielle and Ivan visit the re-opened front office and public enquiry desk at Campbell Square Police Station in Northampton – reaffirming their commitment to visible and accessible local policing at the heart of communities.
March saw the Commissioner host the first rural round table, which discussed thefts from rural businesses, hare coursing and deliberate fires. The meeting helped create closer collaboration and better communication with our rural communities. She also met black church leaders to discuss how police and fire can work with black communities to improve representation, and trust and confidence, in policing.
April marked the announcement that Kettering would have a new town centre policing base, while there was also a commitment to find a new police base in the centre of Corby and retain a police base in the eastern district of Northampton. Two new fire stations in Moulton and Kettering were also announced.
To mark the first-year anniversary of her election in May, Danielle launched her newly named Safe and Sound Communities Fund. It makes funding available for schemes which help to reduce harm and offending and improve road safety.
June saw the Commissioner visit the University of Northampton to speak to students and staff about their experiences and perceptions of crime. Danielle spoke to representatives of the Students’ Union and security staff from the University to discuss violence against women and girls, knife crime and drug offences.
The arrival of July saw the launch of the Safer Streets for Summer campaign. Action included targeted police patrols and enforcement in town centres, school sessions to help young people identify anti-social behaviour, and activity at train stations to help prevent violence against women on the railway network.
There were also clean up days where offenders repaired the harm they have caused to communities. These were led by the Commissioner’s Immediate Justice team, who carried out several restorative projects with offenders across August. This included clearing pathways and cutting back vegetation in Daventry, transforming a bridge along the Grand Union Canal into a piece of art, and clearing overgrown walkways on the Nene Way Riverside Walk.
September saw Danielle give a grant of £5,000 to Abington Vale Residents’ Association to help buy two vehicle activated signs. They applied for the funding from Danielle’s Road Safety Community Fund due to concerns with the speed vehicles were travelling through the area.
Hundreds of questions about crime and safety were submitted to Danielle and Chief Constable Ivan Balhatchet in a ‘Chief’s Chat’ session in October. These ranged from road safety to anti-social behaviour and police visibility. The virtual chat gave residents a chance to have their voices heard and to be involved in the Commissioner’s role of holding the Chief Constable to account.
Danielle brought problem solvers together in Victoria Park, Millers Meadow and Semilong in November to address long-standing issues affecting community safety. This was the fifth ‘Study Tour’ that Danielle has hosted in the county – which sees local organisations come together to take a closer look at how they can address environmental and physical security issues that may be contributing to crime and anti-social behaviour.
2025 ended with the launch of two major schemes to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) in December.
Danielle launched the Northamptonshire Women’s Charter, a call to action for organisations to promote safer environments and spaces for women, with 20 county organisations already having signed up.
Leaders and policymakers from across the region then came together on December 12 to attend a VAWG conference organised by Danielle, which discussed how everyone can work together to meet the Government’s target of reducing VAWG by 50 per cent in a decade.
Reflecting on the last 12 months, Danielle Stone said: “We started the year by listening to voices across the community. The overwhelming message was that people just want to feel safe where they live and work, and know we are there when they need us.
“We are working hard to deliver projects which prevent crime, reduce re-offending and keep people safe in our towns and villages, on our roads and in our workplaces.
“I want to pay tribute to the hard work and dedication show by our frontline police officers, PCSOs and firefighters, and all our staff who work behind the scenes to support them. Their work makes a difference, and we will continue to make our communities even safer into 2026 and beyond.”
