SAIL celebrates three years of making Sunderland city centre safer
Anti-social behaviour has decreased since the project launched
Anti-social behaviour in Sunderland city centre is down by almost half since the launch of a ground-breaking project set up three years ago to make it a safer place.
The Sunderland Altogether Improving Lives (SAIL) project was launched in December 2022 with the aim of making a real and lasting difference to people's lives.
Three years on, anti-social behaviour has dropped by around 40% in the city centre and SAIL continues to make a real difference in the heart of Sunderland.
SAIL brings together a wide range of partner agencies under one roof, including Northumbria Police, Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit, Sunderland City Council, and Together for Children, with supporting organisations to deliver a coordinated, long-term approach to tackling issues that matter most to city centre businesses, and all those who live and work in, and visit the city centre.
The team includes a number of dedicated staff funded by the Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit, who play a vital role in working with young people involved in violent offending in the city centre, offering them support and the chance to divert away from future offending.
Since its launch in 2022, the SAIL team has investigated 421 crimes, made 637 arrests, stopped and searched 542 people, supported 52 young people, 30 of whom completely stop offending, and 20 more significantly reduced their offending. SAIL have also issued 419 direction to leave notices, served 114 community protection warnings, 46 community protection notices and obtained 6 criminal behaviour orders in conjunction with Sunderland City Council Community Safety Team.
Latest figures also show that between 1 November 2024 and 1 December 2025:
• All ASB is down 28%
• Alcohol related ASB is down 41%
• All crime is down 9%
Types of crime that have seen notable reductions include: a 19% drop in criminal damage, a 33% drop in burglaries and a 20% drop in theft and handling.
Councillor Kelly Chequer, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Safer Communities at Sunderland City Council, said: "This is all about making our city centre a safer, more welcoming and vibrant place to be.
"We know that anti-social behaviour is a key priority for residents in our city. So three years on, it's wonderful to see anti-social behaviour in the city centre down by 40%, and SAIL continuing to go from strength to strength and making such a positive difference to our city centre.
"It's a great example of what can be achieved by working in partnership to tackle the issues that matter most to our communities."
Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Susan Dungworth, said: “The SAIL project is a powerful example of what can be achieved when partners come together to tackle the issues that matter most to our communities.
“That’s why, when I launched my Police and Crime Plan earlier this year, I made sure it reflected what residents told me they wanted to see more of.
“So for me, this work is not just about enforcement, it's about building trust, supporting young people, preventing crime from happening, and making sure residents and businesses feel heard and supported.
“And the results we’re seeing in Sunderland City Centre reflect that vision – with less violence and anti-social behaviour, more young people being diverted from crime, more support being offered when it’s needed most, and real improvements in people’s lives and local areas.
“But we won’t stop there. Through the Violence Reduction Unit, Northumbria Police, Sunderland City Council and partners, we will continue tackling the issues that matter, ensuring a safer, and more welcoming place for everyone.
"This is exactly the kind of approach we need to build safer, stronger communities for everyone."
Northumbria Police's Chief Inspector of Communities, Gemma Calvert, said: "Our SAIL team was set up with the collaborative aim of tackling youth violence and criminality in the city centre.
"And the results we’re sharing on the team’s third anniversary show just how we’re achieving that.
"Ensuring we make the most of that early intervention when it comes to youth violence means we can get ahead of the curve and nip anti-social behaviour in the bud – making Sunderland city centre a safer place for people to visit, work and live.
"I’d like to thank our partners at Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), Together for Children and Sunderland City Council for their continued efforts in making this a success.
"The results we’re recording wouldn’t be possible without the determination of our dedicated neighbourhood officers and partners."
SAIL also works closely the business community in the city centre and Sunderland BID to make the city centre a more pleasant and safer place to be.
Sharon Appleby, Chief Executive of Sunderland BID, said: "The SAIL project is a fantastic example of what working in partnership can really achieve.
"The results speak for themselves, showing the true, positive affect that a shared idea put into action can make a huge difference."
The SAIL project was built on the success of the award-winning SARA project in Southwick and HALO project in Hetton, which were set up to work with local communities and help build a sense of ownership and pride in communities, at the same time as tackling a range of issues including anti-social and criminal behaviour, environmental crime, unemployment and poor mental health.
These have recently been joined by three new community safety hubs in Concord and Sulgrave, Hendon and Pennywell.
To report ASB easily online at: Anti-social behaviour - Sunderland City Council. Together we can make Sunderland a safe place for everyone.