PCC ‘ramps up’ efforts to improve street safety and protect residents from crime

Major improvements are underway to protect residents from burglary and anti-social behaviour and reduce the risk of violence to women and girls across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

The county’s Police and Crime Commissioner Darryl Preston, working in conjunction with a team of local community safety partners, has made significant headway since securing a £820K funding boost from the Government’s Safer Streets 5 scheme.

The funding is being invested in a series of evidence-led safety interventions to support the PCC’s work to tackle neighbourhood crime and is the biggest investment in tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) the county has ever seen.

Day and night-time economy workers, including bus and taxi drivers are receiving training to identify predatory behaviour thanks to support from Cambridge City Council.

In Peterborough, security experts are undertaking the first of a number of home upgrades and three new CCTV cameras have been ordered to make public spaces safer. Additionally, all residents who have been a victim of burglary in the last 12 months have been contacted and offered security surveys of their homes and crime prevention devices such as Ring Doorbells and additional window locks.

And in Fenland, Huntingdon and St Neots, two Community Engagement and Resilience Officers have been recruited to listen to community concerns and develop joint solutions – with six additional CCTV cameras installed with extra staff to monitor them.

Responding to the progress, Darryl said: “Our safety partners are working around the clock to roll out Safer Streets 5 activity as quickly as possible and I am delighted with the progress being made. This will ensure residents feel the benefits of these extra measures sooner rather than later. 

“Intrusive crimes like burglary can have a devastating and long-term impact on victims. I am pleased that all those who have been affected by burglary in the past 12 months have been offered a superior security package to keep their properties safe and reduce their anxiety.

“Cambridgeshire’s record number of police officers are already working hard to keep local people safe. This project is designed to complement those efforts by supporting a whole range of interventions to prevent crime before it happens. Fewer crimes translate to fewer victims and if this investment spares just one future victim, it is worth every penny.”

Cllr Alice Gilderdale, Cambridge City Council’s Executive Councillor for Community Wealth Building and Community Safety, said: “We’re really pleased to be working with the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner as well as local police colleagues, business partners, and charities like Rape Crisis to improve people’s safety locally, and are grateful for the funding to improve lighting on the Market Square.

“We have been able to match funding from the OPCC to support our Problem Solving Coordinator’s work to identify issues and deliver localised solutions. We have also recently been able to offer funding to enable the Sexual Violence Ambassador Programme to continue in the city, by contributing £25,000; and to support the Business Against Abuse work with bus drivers in the city, by contributing £10,000.”