‘Peterborough was on the naughty step when it came to crime - but old fashioned policing has made a difference’

Assistant Chief Constable Paul Fullwood has spent three decades tackling crime in Camridgeshire and Peterborough, heading up the city force for a while - but now he is retiring from the constabulary.

During his time he has worked on some of the biggest investigations and operations in Peterborough - from the cold case review into the murder of Rikki Neave, to dealing with large demonstrations in the city from the English Defence League (EDL).

Most recently he has led the force’s response to coronavirus.

Speaking to the Peterborough Telegraph following his retirement on Friday, Paul said: “I came to Peterborough in 2010 - we were on the naughty step really with issues around crime and disorder, but we have turned it around with some old fashioned policing.

“There were particular issues with burglary and car crime, but we worked really hard with the community to get it sorted.”

The first major EDL march happened in 2010, and at the time involved the biggest police operation in Cambridgeshire’s history, with scores of officers on duty to prevent trouble.

ACC Fullwood said: “That was a scary moment for the community, because of the multi-cultural nature of Peterborough.
“Whenever there is an EDL march, there is a counter demonstration, and a lot of work was done to make sure it went off OK.

“We worked with community groups and the council and had hundreds of officers on duty, and it went off without too much trouble.

“The one thing about Peterborough is there is such a close knit community. I had never worked in Peterborough before, but I loved it when I came here.

“We learnt so much on the Peterborough march, we were able to implement those lessons on later marches elsewhere.”

One of the last investigations ACC Fullwood worked on was the Rikki Neave murder probe.

A man, James Watson, is scheduled to stand trial charged with the murder later this year.

ACC Fullwood said: “It has been on e of the biggest and most complex investigations I have ever worked on, because it is a case which is 25 years old.”

The Rikki Neave case is just one of a number ACC Fullwood has worked on. He said: “During my career I have been a detective at every rank, which has meant I have worked on some of the hardest and difficult cases.

“I have been leading the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire (BCH) triforce response to coronavirus. I have to say the NHS and all the key workers have been outstanding, but the police response has been phenomenal.

“They have had to do things at a moments notice that we would not have thought about before. It has been much harder than it has been before.

“It is so important to have a good support network, both at home and at work. The police have got much better at that as well.”

ACC Fullwood is now hoping to take a break and spend some time with his family. He said: “I will miss the people, the sense of humour and the camaraderie. We have all seen some horrible things, but we all help each other. People see the glitzy side of policing on TV, but it is not always like that, but it is a fantastic career.”