More about this area

The force says...

Cambridgeshire Constabulary covers 1,309 square miles in the east of England, bordering eight other counties. It has a population of around 0.8 million with a varied geography, from the cities of Ely, Cambridge and Peterborough through to the market towns and rural Fenland. The resident population is diverse and increased by university students and those visiting or travelling through the county each year. Cambridgeshire is one of the fastest growing counties, with major infrastructure projects of the county’s road network, significant growth in construction of houses and business, and an expected population growth of a further 25 percent by 2031.

Both crime and overall demand for services increased in 2017, in line with national trends. Around 10 percent of the 22 percent increase in crime in the county was due to improved crime recording standards.

Cambridgeshire Constabulary has a clear mission to protect the vulnerable with a particular focus on attacking criminality in innovative ways. The Constabulary proactively encourages reporting of crime, working in partnership to build trust and confidence of local communities. Emerging crime threats include modern slavery, child sexual exploitation and cyber-crime, resulting in further complex investigative and safeguarding demand.

The constabulary has maintained high standards of service and frontline numbers despite a reduced budget since 2010. In 2018, the constabulary launched a new operating model, strengthening the front line, better aligning resources to demand, improving service standards and achieving better value for money.

The need to increase efficiency while maintaining resilience has led to a pioneering collaboration with Bedfordshire Police and Hertfordshire Constabulary, which is proving successful at increasing capacity and reducing cost while still meeting local needs. The Constabulary continues to work in collaboration at a regional level through the Eastern Region Operation Unit and increasingly exploring opportunities via the 7Force collaboration programme.

Disclaimer: the above statement has been prepared by Cambridgeshire Constabulary. The views and information in it are not necessarily those of HMICFRS.