Cleveland Police praised for their engagement work by local MPs in the House of Commons this week

Pic shows PC Geoff Coggin during one of his engagement and education sessions with young people in Hartlepool.

Hartlepool MP Jonathan Brash congratulated the “exemplary work” of Cleveland Police in dealing with the issues that arose last summer, during a discussion on the Police Grant Report in the House of Commons earlier this week.

As part of Wednesday’s discussion (5th February), the Hartlepool MP rose to specifically thank the force for the work they do, before Middlesbrough MP Andy McDonald joined him to agree that everyone in the House should be celebrating the response from the police and the communities. He went on to say that the way in which Cleveland Police and the local communities came together at that time was remarkable and was the reason why the response was a success.

He then went on to make special mention of popular Hartlepool Neighbourhoods officer PC Geoff Coggin, referring to him as ‘Coggy’. Mr McDonald described him as “a remarkable man”, saying, “he is the most impressive individual, and he took it upon himself—his colleagues did the same across the Cleveland force area—to engage with young people who had lost their way and were not engaged.”

Coggy has been busy with his usual engagement activity in the town this week, delivering educational talks to schools and colleges as part of the preventative work he does. He visited the Salaam Centre yesterday (Thursday 6th February) and has delivered two educational inputs to young people aged between 16 and 19 at Hartlepool College of Further Education this week on Violence Against Women and Girls. 

PC Coggin said: “It’s nice to know that other people recognise the work you do. I love engaging with people in Hartlepool, and I find it particularly rewarding to help guide youngsters away from crime.”