North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU)

👻 The only thing criminals should be scared of on #Halloween is a knock on the door from us! Under the banner of #OpSentinel we are stronger than ever in our regional approach to tackling Serious and Organised Crime in the #NorthEast We work year-round alongside our partners Northumbria Police, Cleveland Police (UK) and Durham Constabulary, to catch criminals out in their web 🕷 of illicit activity and take down tricksters 🎃 🧛♂️ Much like vampires, we're a pain in your neck, so if you're involved in organised crime 👀 check under your bed and behind the door because we're coming for you!

📵 💻 Are you prepared for a cyber attack? Ransomware attacks occur in different ways, such as through insecure and fraudulent websites, software downloads and malicious attachments. In reality anyone can be a target – individuals and companies of all sizes and it is crucial certain steps are taken to try and prevent and/or manage these attacks. • Make regular backups • Don’t click on links, unexpected or suspicious emails • Use multi-factor authentication • Install apps from trusted sources only • Turn on firewalls 🖱 Further advice, guidance and free training is available through NERCCUProtect@durham.police.uk or by searching ‘NERCCU’.

📲📩 Do you know the best way to report fraud to protect yourself and your business? 👇 Find out more below from our helpful info sheet. 💻 You can also visit our website to find out about different types of fraud and how to protect yourself. Search 'NERCCU' today for fraud specific advice today.

🏆 Award success for Trainee Detective Programme! The team behind the pioneering state-of-the-art project have taken home the High Sheriff Cup at Northumbria Police’s Pride and Policing #Awards. The winning project was the first of its kind and was the hard work of officers and staff from the #NEROCU, Northumbria Police, The Connor Brown Trust (Tanya Brown) and Education Partnership North East. The project saw seventeen students, aged 11-14, from Hetton Academy, participate in the innovative week-long Trainee Detective programme that used the tragic story of Connor Brown’s murder to help the children understand the dangers and consequences of carrying a knife. They were split into teams at Sunderland College’s Bede Campus and challenged to solve the case after being walked through each step of the investigation. Advanced 360 immersive technology and virtual reality in the college's Innovation Space allowed the diligent detectives to walk through the crime scene and a custody suite to evaluate the evidence. The trainees also received expert medical testimony on Connor’s fatal injuries and the attempts to save the teenager’s life, before paying a visit to Sunderland Magistrates’ Court for a unique behind-the-scenes perspective on the judicial process. Backed by Connor’s family and friends, who also delivered an input, the groundbreaking project educates young children on the risks of knife crime and the devastating ramifications for their families, friends and the wider community. 💬 Following the win, NEROCU Detective Inspector Andrea Burns, said: “We’re delighted to see the project get the recognition it deserves. “Each cohort is months of planning and a lot of hard work by a dedicated team, but it is so important for communities and is about getting the kids engaged and involved so that the message they leave with has a lasting impact. “Our work doesn’t end here though and thankfully we have now secured funding to continue the rollout across the North East and deliver this life-saving programme to more children.”

🚓 Two suspects have been arrested as part of a continued clampdown around courier fraud and money laundering. Last week (October 17), #NEROCU officers supported by the Metropolitan Police, simultaneously executed four warrants at addresses in Battersea, Ilford and Hayes. Two men, were all arrested on suspicion of Conspiracy to Defraud and Money Laundering. Since the start of 2024, victims in the UK have lost over 4 million pounds to this crime type and we want suspects to know that we will travel anywhere in the country to arrest them and bring justice to the victims of this crime that targets some of the most vulnerable in our communities. 🖱️ Read the full story on our website.

👍 Do you want another #NEROCU vacancy? No problem. We're recruiting for an Intelligence Development Officer to join our Multi-Agency Response to Serious and Organised Crime (MARSOC) team. You'll play a crucial role in leading the intelligence collection against the highest priority offenders. What you’ll do:   Research and Assess: Conduct intelligence research on high-threat individuals and problems, identifying intelligence gaps and setting requirements. Gather and Analyse: Collect, analyse, and de-conflict intelligence, creating case files and subject profiles. Operational Support: Support live operations with real-time information evaluation, manage and update intelligence. Collaboration and Systems Access: Work with police and partners to enhance intelligence pictures and maintain sources. 🔎 So if you're searching for a new challenge this is your opportunity to be part of an organisation making a real difference to communities by making them safer for all. With agile working to build a healthy work/life balance and a drive for #inclusion and #wellbeing- this could be the role you've been waiting for. 💻 The #vacancy is housed online by our regional colleagues at Northumbria Police, we'll drop a link in the comments so you can find out more 👇

💙 Incredibly proud of our people Yesterday we held our biggest Wellbeing event ever here at #NEROCU – and it was all thanks to a team of amazing people! The event wouldn’t have been possible without the amazing support of our NEROCU Wellbeing Team, our colleagues in Northumbria Police, Cleveland Police (UK) and Durham Constabulary as well as the National Crime Agency (NCA) and it is just one example of all the things we deliver with wellbeing in mind. It was packed full of opportunities to learn more about the support services available and even let our workforce try some of them out. The event boasted such things as flu jabs, health and cholesterol checks, massages, advice on financial wellbeing, our wellbeing dogs, counselling, and neurodiversity support. We were also joined by the fantastic Professor of Sleep, Jason Ellis, who talked about the importance of a good night’s sleep and gave some top tips for getting enough rest. The event also had representatives from Unions, Police Federation, Wellbeing Teams, Occupational Health and Sports and Socials. We’re absolutely thrilled to announce the event’s bake sale raised an amazing £240 for Shout, a suicide prevention charity. We really can’t thank people enough for their support. To those who helped organise, those who worked on the stalls or delivered inputs, baked cakes and to all those who attended – thank you. Events like this are so important for our workforce and our #culture. By investing our time in prioritising #wellbeing, we’re demonstrating our commitment to our people and their work/life balance.

📢 Fancy hearing from our own people and learning more about what we value at #NEROCU? Check out our fundamentals below 👇

💙 A good employer lifts their people up rather than holding them back. By challenging our people and supporting their career path, we in turn have a workforce full of #motivated and #passionate people who are happy at work. Whether it is personal or professional #development, we encourage and invest in our people to help them achieve their goals. 👇 Check out our step-by-step guide to how we help develop and #support our people as they look to grow themselves and progress their careers.

🌍🧠 Today is #WorldMentalHealthDay but we want to encourage everyone to keep this conversation going year-round. Wellbeing has always been something we prioritise here at #NEROCU and that's a commitment we make to our workforce and the public we serve. We have specialist #wellbeing support on hand as well as regular development workshops to prioritise our people and their work/life balance.   We have trusted specialists our employees can speak to including our Wellbeing Team and our #MentalHealth First Aiders.   We also have our dedicated Wellbeing Champions on hand. They can signpost to available support and be a confidential outlet for wellbeing concerns and ideas to improve the organisation for everyone. We have our free-to-use gym and our new and improved Wellbeing Space which provides a quiet and private space for prayer, expressing and/or breastfeeding, confidential wellbeing talks or somewhere to come and take some time for yourself. We continue to grow and develop as an organisation so we can be inclusive for all our people. 💙 Everyone deserves good mental health and the support to achieve it.