Peterborough residents urged to report suspicious behaviour as police launch Stay in, Speak Out campaign

The new campaign highlights the continuing Coronavirus pandemic which has led to people changing where they work and more people spending increasing amounts of time at home.

Over the last few weeks calls from members of the public have helped officers arrest suspected car thieves, raise the alarm on possible rogue traders and taken drugs and weapons off the streets.

One example highlighted by officers happened just after 12.30pm last Monday (22 February), when a member of the public in Peterborough called police after seeing a man riding one bike but pushing another along at the same time, which had no front wheel. A man was later found by officers in the area with a hammer, pliers and chisel – together with the alleged stolen bike. A crime has been raised for bike theft.

Superintendent James Sutherland said: “Members of the public help us fight crime every day and calls and reports to us make such a big difference, as shown by the above examples.

“If you are working at home more or spending more time indoors and you notice something in your community that doesn’t feel quite right, please tell us.

“While some crimes have decreased due to lockdown, we know some of the more serious offences are still taking place, such as modern slavery or domestic abuse. Your reports could even provide the key element in helping us prevent these crimes.

“Lockdown has meant we are all making sacrifices and has shown what we can achieve when we work together. We believe our communities can make a genuine difference and in many cases are already doing so.

“An important thing to mention is that you do not have to be sure a crime is definitely happening but any concerns reported to us, no matter how small, could bring someone to justice and could even save a life.”

The campaign also comes after a Twitter poll revealed 14% of people said they had reported concerns to police directly as a result of increased time at home.

There are now more ways to contact police than ever before. Suspicions or concerns can be reported via the force’s online web chat function here: https://bit.ly/3ruIxRB, via the online reporting forms here: https://bit.ly/3uWf4T8 or by calling 101. Always call 999 in an emergency.