Frontline officers in Middlesbrough have been equipped with new handheld metal detecting wands to help screen suspects for concealed weapons and improve community safety. The initiative, announced by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland on 24 April 2026, provides 14 of these devices to local response teams.
The equipment was funded by the Cleveland Unit for the Reduction of Violence, which invested £10,000 to purchase 66 wands for distribution across the region. In addition to the units provided to Middlesbrough, devices have been issued to teams in Redcar, Stockton, and Hartlepool, as well as the force’s Specialist Matrix Unit.
Police say the wands will be used as a screening tool during lawful arrests to supplement physical searches. They are not intended to replace the requirement for officers to conduct standard physical checks.
This rollout comes as official data indicates that Cleveland has the second-highest rate of knife crime per head of population in the country, at 154 offences for every 100,000 people. Figures from the Office for National Statistics showed a 7 per cent rise in recorded knife crimes across Cleveland in 2025, with incidents increasing from 869 to 930. However, the data also highlighted a 12 per cent reduction in knife crime among young people across Teesside during 2024.
Detective Chief Inspector Chris Pringle, the knife crime lead for Cleveland Police, is overseeing the deployment of these tools as part of the force’s ongoing efforts to deter the carrying of weapons.
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