Cuts to neighbourhood policing in Peterborough and Cambridgeshire criticised

Cambridgeshire police announced today it was halving its number of PCSOs (police community support officers) from 80 to 40 and scrapping its community safety team, resulting in a loss of six community safety officers.

Chief Constable Nick Dean acknowledged that “the timing of this announcement in the current climate is not good,” but added: “In order to meet budget deficit demands there is no alternative.”

The proposals, which were due to be announced in April but were delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic, will save the force £1.7 million a year.

Aside from the cuts to neighbourhood policing, nine enquiry offices will be closed with residents instead having to make an appointment to speak to an officer, which will lead to six more job losses, although the office at Thorpe Wood Police Station in Peterborough will provide seven day a week provision.

The revamp will also result in a “remodelling of the citizens in policing team” which will including the removal of the vacant head of citizens in policing and special constabulary post, while both the north and south of the county will see the development of Area Command Cells and Neighbourhood Support Teams.

Cambridgeshire police said these will “deliver consistent and efficient neighbourhood policing across the whole force”.

Continuous Professional Development Units (CPDUs) will also support officers with “ongoing operational competence and training” with the introduction of PEQF (Policing Education Qualifications Framework) as an entry route into policing.

The proposals have been heavily criticised by the union UNISON, with eastern regional organiser Jeff Keighley saying: “It’s no good recruiting more police officers only to have to slash the numbers of staff doing vital work for the force in support of officers on the beat.

“A decade of austerity has already cut Cambridgeshire’s police force to the bone - any more will inevitably result in a worse service to the public.

“Fewer PCSOs and enquiry officers will make it harder for members of the public — particularly the elderly and vulnerable — to access the police when they need them.

“PCSOs have proven themselves to be a vital part of British policing, acting as its eyes and ears in the community.

“They visit schools and make neighbourhoods safer, tackling the anti-social behaviour that blights lives but which police officers often don’t have time to deal with.

“At a time when a well-resourced network of PCSOs should be helping people comply with ever-changing Covid-19 regulations, cutting numbers further simply makes no sense.”

Mr Dean said: “We have had to make some incredibly difficult decisions over the past 12 months when considering how we balance the needs of the community and the policing service we provide with being able to manage within the budget we have.

“We simply could not continue with the existing neighbourhood policing model with the budget constraints we currently face and are likely to have in the coming years.

“These proposals were due to be announced in April 2020, however, due to Covid-19 they were put on hold. We are very aware the timing of this announcement in the current climate is not good, however, in order to meet budget deficit demands there is no alternative.

“The proposals have been made following extensive analysis across the force, the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire collaboration and the Eastern Region seven force collaboration to find savings and will make the necessary improvements in efficiency while saving the Constabulary £1.7 million.

“We simply could not continue with the existing financial modelling.”

The number of police officers across neighbourhood policing teams is increasing from 57 in April 2018 to an anticipated 132 in April 2021 due to a combination of savings and a rise in council tax.

Mr Dean added: “Effective neighbourhood policing is absolutely crucial. I’m delighted we were able to provide an additional 50 officers to the frontline last year and that with these plans every single neighbourhood in the county will retain a PCSO allocation.

“No police stations will close as a result of these plans. Enquiry offices which have been affected by these plans will remain open for appointments and we are committed to holding regular surgeries to engage with the public.

“Footfall in some of the stations is incredibly low and we believe deploying officers out into the community is a far more effective use of resource.

“We are absolutely committed to neighbourhood policing, tackling crime in our communities and keeping the people of Cambridgeshire safe.”

The initial period of staff consultation has started today (Wednesday) and will last until November 20.