Cleveland has the highest rate of violent crimes in the country, and in Force Control, Despatcher Leanne gets a call about a shop that has allegedly been robbed by someone with a knife and gun. The suspect is tracked down to a nearby estate and Sergeants Steven Bolsover and Chris Phelan arrive to provide back-up to the armed response unit who close in on the suspect. As the neighbourhood watches on, a male is detained and booked into custody at Middlesbrough nick. But with such a big police presence, lively crowds start gathering creating another problem for the police.

The next call comes in from an off-duty police officer who spots a man walking the streets, brandishing knives in broad daylight. Officers draw their tasers and manage to restrain the man who is found to be carrying three knives, a balaclava and what looks like a home-made detonating device.

Towards the end of a night shift, in the early morning, PCs Katie Welfrod and Tash Nicholls are despatched to a fight. There's been a dispute over an alleged £40 debt. Paramedics are told that a meat-cleaver or mini machete has been used and the victim has sustained serious facial injuries. The suspect is taken into custody where Sergeant Phil has seen it all too often: "People can be ruthless and we are seeing more and more weapons involved in fights."

In Force Control, a 999 call comes in from a woman whose windows have been shot at with a shotgun while she was in bed sleeping. The suspects have driven off on a quad bike wearing balaclavas. PC Adam Woodland secures the scene and the incident is handed over to the Major Crime Team. "You'll find certain weapons are shared out among that criminal group… We've even seen that people will hire out weapons as a business."

The number of assaults on police officers in Cleveland has almost doubled in the last five years, and as Middlesbrough officers prepare for another busy shift, an urgent call comes in.

A man is walking around a housing estate allegedly brandishing a nine-inch serrated sword. As the police are called, the man barricades himself in his home and is apparently naked. Armed officers arrive at the scene and coax him off the roof of his house and into the waiting custody van. Collecting the machete as evidence, PC Jamie Roberts comments "We all wear stab vests for a reason."

A few miles away in Stockton, officers call for urgent back-up. A man is suspected of holding a woman at knife point and three officers have knife injuries. The situation is ongoing with one officer shouting "Drop the knife! We need more taser units! Taser has been used but it's not worked". Back-up arrives and the suspect is restrained, but three officers are injured, one with potentially life changing injuries. The incident leaves Middlesbrough's resources stretched.

PCs Adam Woodland and Tash Nicholls are called to back-up a lone officer struggling to detain a male reportedly armed with a machete and suspected of stealing a moped. The suspect is sprayed and arrested before being taken to custody.

On another shift PC Woodland is assaulted after being called to the town centre to deal with an intoxicated male, who is making threats to door staff and members of the public. It's one of nearly 60 assaults on Cleveland police officers every month.