Prior to the commencement of the meeting it was with great sadness that the Chair formally reported the death of the Police, Crime and Victims’ Commissioner, Ron Hogg. Ron was elected as the first Police, Crime and Victims’ Commissioner for County Durham and Darlington and was re-elected in 2016 with 63% of the votes cast. The Durham force was rated outstanding four times by the police inspectorate and Ron was at the forefront of pioneering innovative schemes to tackle reoffending and keep people out of prison.
The Council stood for a moments silence as a mark of respect.