Report charts positive year with crime reductions and investment in prevention
Main article content
Police and Crime Commissioner, Darryl Preston is today (28th August) publishing his third Annual Report, following the Police and Crime Panel meeting where members reviewed the plan and made comments.
While the Commissioner has been recently seeking views from the public and stakeholders on a new Police and Crime Plan for the next four years, this report provides a snapshot of progress against his earlier plan (2021-2024).
Darryl said: “I want to take this opportunity to update people who live and work in the county on some of the considerable progress made with partners over the last twelve months to keep communities safe.
“Listening to communities is at the heart of that progress. While people want the police to tackle some of the more serious, high harm crimes such as knife crime, I know that residents also want to see those crimes and issues that can blight everyday life resolved – such as anti-social behaviour (ASB), fly-tipping and road safety.
“I am pleased to report that following investment from my office, every Community Safety Partnership in our county now has a problem-solving post to help communities tackle these and other issues which concern them.
“While it is always good to see a reduction in crime, prevention will always be better than cure. This year, my team developed three Safer Streets 5 partnership proposals, securing £698,000 of Home Office funding to tackle neighbourhood crime and ASB and prevent violence against women and girls (VAWG).
“With record officer numbers - 1,732 spread across our county, the Chief Constable has been able to bolster local policing teams. Through community-safety initiatives and targeted enforcement by officers and partners, neighbourhood crime was down 31%, recorded incidents of ASB down 27%, and *rural crime by 13%.
There has also been progress against bike theft - through increased investment in CCTV technology, targeted police activity and support from Cambridge City Council and other partners, the crime is down 54%.
“Work to tackle serious violence has also been a key feature this year,” continues Darryl. “Through my chairing of the county’s High Harms Board, intensive work with partners is helping to ensure that all those agencies involved in tackling serious crime are working effectively together, delivering local initiatives to prevent young people from becoming involved in crime.
“Supporting victims and witnesses of crime will always be a key priority for me whether or not crimes are reported to the police. I continue to invest in specialist support services so that people get the help they need. Since 2021, the £21.5m investment made through my office over a four-year period (up to 31st March 2025) has included £10.2m to commission support services for victims and witnesses of crime.
“I know that some of the recent high-profile, national events have dented public confidence and trust in policing. Our independently chaired Scrutiny Panels continue to play a vital part in ensuring officers are carrying out their duties ethically and professionally.”
“Of course, while this progress is welcome,” Darryl concluded, “more needs to be done to tackle the rise of violent crime (locally and nationally), the growing challenges of fraud and cybercrime, as well as increasing call handling resources.
“I look forward to working with the Constabulary and partners to continue to tackle these issues.”
To sign up for the Commissioner’s newsletter, visit: https://www.cambridgeshire-pcc.gov.uk/contact-us-and-get-involved/contact-us/pccs-newsletter/.