Questions are starting to emerge over Clevelabd POlices effectivenes on the tackling of organised crime, as the most recent incident of a vehicle being ploughed into a residential home mirrors that of a similar attack just two years ago.
8th March 2025
Teesside, an area once known for its industrial heritage and tight-knit communities, is increasingly making headlines for the wrong reasons. A recent incident in Hartlepool, where a Range Rover ploughed into a home on Raby Road, has once again shone a spotlight on the growing prevalence of serious crime in the region. This alarming event, according to a number of sources is not an isolated incident but said to be part of a disturbing trend that's raising serious questions about Cleveland Police’s ability to tackle serious organised crime effectively. As emergency services scrambled to respond to the latest crash, residents are left wondering: has organised crime become more entrenched on Teesside than ever before, and is Cleveland Police struggling to keep up?
A Disturbing Incident in Hartlepool
On a quiet Friday morning, the residents of Raby Road, Hartlepool, were jolted awake by the sound of a Range Rover crashing into a semi-detached house. The vehicle left the front room window hanging precariously from its frame, sparking a swift response from firefighters and police. Images from the scene, captured by passersby and shared with Teesside Live, reveal the shocking extent of the damage—a stark visual reminder of the chaos that serious crime can bring to everyday life. While the motives behind the incident remain unclear, its brazen nature suggests a level of recklessness often associated with organised criminal activity.
This isn't the first time Hartlepool has witnessed such an event. Just two years ago, a strikingly similar incident occurred when a car was deliberately ploughed through the window of a home in the town. That case, which sparked a major investigation by Durham Constabulary, ultimately led to the dismantling of an organised crime gang operating both in Teesside & County Durham. The success of that operation highlighted the potential for effective policing to disrupt criminal networks. However, the recurrence of such incidents in Hartlepool is said to raise troubling questions over whether lessons have been learned and whether Cleveland Police, which covers the Teesside area, is equipped to deal with the growing threat of organised crime.
The Shadow of Organised Crime on Teesside
The Range Rover incident is just one of many recent examples of serious organised crime plaguing Teesside. From drug trafficking and violent assaults to arson and firearms offences, the region has seen a worrying uptick in criminal activity, with Clevelabd Police said to be siezing vehicles used in crimes at alarming rates, many of whihc were purchased for just a few hundred pounds from social media sites such as Facebook & Gumtree. In just the space of a few weeks, its been reported that a range of disturbing incidents, including a ‘petrol bomb’ attack on a Hartlepool home, shots being fired at a Middlesbrough residence by quad-bike riding gunmen, and the arrest of seven individuals following a suspected shooting in Hartlepool. These cases, often linked to organised crime, paint a picture of a region under siege by violent criminal gangs.
Organised crime is not a new phenomenon on Teesside, but its apparent resurgence & deep rootedness in the local community is cause for concern. The area’s socio-economic challenges, including high levels of deprivation and unemployment, have historically made it a fertile breeding ground for orgainsed criminal networks. However, the increasing boldness of these crimes—such as vehicles being used as weapons to target homes—suggests a new level of confidence among criminals that policing efforts are failing to deter. The question on many residents’ minds is: why does it seem that Cleveland Police is struggling to get a grip on this growing problem?
Lessons from the Past: The Durham Constabulary Success
To understand the current challenges, it’s worth looking back at the Hartlepool car crash incident from two years ago. In that case, a vehicle was deliberately driven into a home, causing significant damage and endangering lives. Durham Constabulary’s response was swift and decisive. A major investigation uncovered evidence of an organised crime gang operating in the area between Hartlepool & Horden in County Durham, a small forer mining village just six miles away from the Coastal Town, leading to multiple arrests and convictions. The operation was hailed as a success, demonstrating the power of intelligence-led policing, community engagement, and collaboration between agencies to dismantle criminal networks.
The contrast between that outcome and the current situation under Cleveland Police is stark. Whilst Durham Constabulary’s operation showed what was possible with a robust and proactive approach, the recurrence of similar incidents in Hartlepool suggests that Cleveland Police may be falling short.
The fact that criminals appear emboldened to carry out such brazen acts in broad daylight indicates a potential failure by Cleveland Police to maintain the pressure on organised crime networks. This raises serious concerns about operational inadequacies within Cleveland Police and whether the force has the resources, strategy, and leadership needed to tackle the problem effectively.
Cleveland Police Under Pressure
Teesside has a crime rate that would make areas such as belfast & Glasgow blush, as a mater of fact, knife crime on Teesside is some of the highest in the country outside of the London Boroughs, hihlighting the scale of the problem facing an aea thats seen some of the harshest cuts to pubic services & the police.
Cleveland Police has faced significant challenges in recent years, including criticisms over its handling of serious organised crime and allegations of deep rooted institutional failings. The force has been under special measures since 2020, following a damning report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), which highlighted issues such as poor leadership, inadequate crime recording, and a failure to protect vulnerable people. Whilst efforts have been made to address these problems, the recent spate of serious crimes on Teesside suggests that the force is still struggling to regain control.
One area of concern is the apparent lack of proactive measures to disrupt organised crime networks. Effective policing of organised crime requires a combination of intelligence gathering, targeted operations, and community engagement—strategies that were key to Durham Constabulary’s success in Hartlepool two years ago. However, incidents like the Range Rover crash and the recent wave of violence in the region suggests Cleveland Police may be reacting to crimes rather than actually preventing them. This reactive approach can allow criminal networks to flourish, as they exploit gaps in policing to expand their operations.
Another issue is the strain on resources. Cleveland Police, like many forces across the UK, has faced budget cuts and staffing shortages in recent years, which may limit its capacity to tackle complex and resource-intensive crimes like those linked to organised gangs. Without sufficient investment in specialist units, training, and technology, the force risks being quickly outpaced by increasingly sophisticated criminal networks, who seem to be puttign Cleveland Police on the back foot more & more....
A Community Under Siege
For the people of Teesside, the rise of serious orgainsed crime isn't just a statistic—it’s a lived reality. Incidents like the Range Rover crashing into a Hartlepool home bring fear and disruption to ordinary families, eroding the sense of safety that is essential to community life. The psychological impact of living in an area where such crimes are becoming more frequent cannot be overstated, particularly when they involve violence or the targeting of residential properties.
Moreover, the apparent impunity with which these crimes are being committed risks further undermining public confidence in Cleveland Police. If residents feel that the force is unable to protect them or bring perpetrators to justice, trust in law enforcement will continue to erode. This, in turn, can hinder community cooperation, making it harder for police to gather the intelligence needed to tackle organised crime effectively.
And without a serious rethink into how Cleveland Police deals with organised crime on Teesside, there's a real risk that organised crime on Teesside will continue to grow, with devastating consequences for the region’s communities, with the onus now firmly on Cleveland Police to step up and demonstrate that it can actually protect its communities. For the residents of Hartlepool and beyond, the stakes could not be higher. The time for decisive action is now—before the shadow of organised crime grows even darker.