Commissioner reports on a year of challenge and progress

Cambridgeshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner has published his annual report, highlighting progress made on protecting the frontline through innovation and collaboration.

High levels of victim satisfaction in the police service, including an increase in the satisfaction of victims of burglary and working with young people all feature as key achievements during the past year.

Sir Graham said: “We’ve made some huge progress in the past year despite some considerable challenges. Cambridgeshire continues to blaze a trail in innovation, collaboration and putting victims of crime and anti-social behaviour in the driving seat and at the forefront of everything we do. I have continued to be impressed by the Chief Constable and his team during the past year, who have worked tirelessly to continue to make good progress.

“The number of areas covered by my report is a window into the variety of the role of Police and Crime Commissioner. It has been an extremely busy year as I have worked locally, regionally and nationally with colleagues across various organisations as well as listening to what the public have flagged up to me.

“I have always said that I believe in evolution not revolution, but much of the work we are involved in is delivering real transformation, protecting the frontline as well as saving money. We’ve achieved some considerable successes.”

The Commissioner’s annual report covers progress made against each of his pledges and police and crime objectives. Highlights include:

• Programme Metis: the root and branch redesign of all force systems, processes and structures which focuses on utilising IT to release officers’ time. £2m of Home Office innovation fund money was secured to roll the programme out to Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.
• Collaborative working: Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire have agreed to work together to identify how collaboration between them can be dramatically increased
• Working in partnership with a range of other agencies in relation to mental health, alcohol and victims of crime
• Being the voice of the public: appointing an Outreach Worker for Peterborough and Fenland has helped Sir Graham identify local concerns for action. Although outside of the Annual Report timeframe, he has also just appointed another Outreach Worker for the south of the force area.
• Tackling anti-social behaviour and burglary: an increase in the satisfaction rate of victims of dwelling burglary from 92 to 94 per cent; use of the information sharing system ECINS has quadrupled since Sir Graham’s plea for agencies to get on board
• Setting up a Youth Fund to engage young people in positive activities
• Criminals across Cambridgeshire have been ordered to pay back more than £2m in the past year
• Tackling the exploitation of children and migrant workers

The Commissioner’s Annual Report is available here

The report will be publicly reviewed by the Police and Crime Panel at its meeting on June 19.