Record police numbers and over £1.4 million of additional funding secured by Commissioner in his first year

MORE than £1.4 million of extra funding has been secured by Darryl Preston in his first year as Police and Crime Commissioner for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

Thursday (12^th May 2022) marks his first year in office since being elected.

During the year Darryl has brought partnership bids of more than £1.4 million into the county including: 

• More than half a million pounds (just under £560k) over two years for an additional eight specially trained staff to support the most vulnerable victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence;
• Together with Cambridgeshire Constabulary, Peterborough City Council and Cambridgeshire County Council, a total of just over £471k from the Home Office’s Safer Streets fund to keep the county’s streets safe;
• More than £300k to further tackle domestic abuse and stalking from the Home Office Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Fund;
• A successful bid on behalf of Cambridge and Peterborough Rape Crisis Partnership for just under £19k to help support male victims of rape;
• Just under £100k from the Ministry of Justice to support victims and survivors of domestic abuse and child sexual abuse with a specialist Stalking and Harassment IDVA (Independent Domestic Violence Adviser).

The Commissioner also awarded £190k to organisations which work to tackle and prevent further crime. This included:

• Ongoing investment and support to the county’s six Community Safety Partnerships to tackle local crime and anti-social behaviour;
• Over £100k to support people in contact with the Criminal Justice System who misuse drugs to help break the cycle of addiction;
• £26k to tackle community speeding in our towns and villages;
• £37k to Cambridgeshire Countryside Watch to step up efforts to prevent crime in our rural communities;
• £26.5k funding to enable access to online programmes to help prevent crime through early intervention.

“It has been an incredibly busy and rewarding year,” said Darryl. 

“From the introduction of a new Community Scrutiny Panel which monitors the way in which officers carry out their work to ensure they act to the very highest standards, to tougher sentencing for illegal hare coursers, it is clear progress is being made against the priorities I outlined in my Police and Crime Plan.

“I have also announced a project to provide rape survivors an opportunity to shape police services, worked with partners to keep our streets safer for women and girls and welcomed a new dog abduction law which takes into account the emotional distress caused to both owner and dog.

“Lastly, but certainly not least, in Cambridgeshire we have a record number of officers – 1,714 expected by March 2023.

“The work certainly doesn’t stop here. I am just as determined to continue to listen and represent the views of our county and all of the communities living and working within it. I will continue to deliver against my Police and Crime Plan with a sole aim of keeping people in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough safe.

“I would like to thank everyone who has supported me during my first year and look forward to serving the county for the next two years.”