News

Team Approach to Beating Crime

Neighbourhood Police teams have been formed in East Cambridgeshire to tackle crime more effectively. Ely Police have set up a new crime team and split the surrounding area between two neighbourhood teams in an attempt to combat anti-social behaviour, vandalism and theft.

The move is part of a major restructuring of the county's resources, codenamed Operation Civitas, to make policing more community-focused by increasing the accountability of police to local people. The new teams consist of Police Constables, Police Community Support Officers (PCSO's), Special Constables and Crime Investigators who will work alongside each other and have responsibility for specific areas.

Serious offences or priority crime such as drugs, robbery and burglary will still be investigated by specialist teams, but special crime investigators will tackle issues such as antisocial behaviour, vandalism and theft.

In the northern part of the district, which includes Ely, Sutton, Haddenham, Witchford and Littleport, a sergeant will lead a neighbourhood team of six community beat officers and four PCSOs. Soham, Burwell and Cheveley are all part of the responsibility of the southern neighbourhood team, where another sergeant will manage a team of four community beat officers and three police community support officers.

Inspector Adam Gallop, commander of the Ely Sector, said: "Local criminals will now be dealt with more quickly and efficiently whereas before there weren't always sufficient resources or numbers to do that. Our aim is to make policing more visible to the local communities and work more closely with them.

"Officers will be able to pick up patterns in crime and residents will see an increase in effective policing in their area."

There are also plans to form new neighbourhood panels.

These will represent local areas and help to inform people of Police activity. They will hold consultations so the Police and their partners can find out residents' main concerns and address them.

Steve Daly, Operation Civitas project manger, said: "Residents will know who their beat bobby is, which will make officers more accessible and engage the community so people have a choice in determining future policing priorities."

April 2005