Police officer employed to help cut crime in Peterborough city centre starts work

A police officer employed to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour in the city centre has started work.

In July The Peterborough Telegraph revealed an officer was being employed to work in the Business Improvement District (BID) in the city.

Now PC Jay Cullimore has started work.

There has been a big increase in shoplifting in Peterborough – but PC Cullimore’s work will extend beyond a single issue – and he will work with shops, pubs and bars and other businesses in the city centre.

Inspector Sam Tucker, from Peterborough’s Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “PC Jay Cullimore has been appointed as the BID police officer and will work to strengthen existing relationships with residents, local businesses and levy payers within the BID.

“While we already have a dedicated city centre neighbourhood policing team, the aim of having this additional resource is to focus on a very specific area of the city centre and issues affecting our businesses, improve engagement, public confidence and the delivery of initiatives designed to reduced overall crime and anti-social behaviour in the area.

“This is not just about shoplifting – attendance at individual reports of shoplifting will remain through existing channels, however PC Cullimore will be supporting businesses with prevention and targeting repeat offenders within the area.”

Earlier this year Pep Cipriano, Chief Operating Officer at Peterborough Positive, said other BIDs in the country had taken similar steps, and he hoped it would be a big success.

He said: “When businesses were consulted during the formation of the Business Improvement District, making the city safer was their top priority. Our first step was to introduce a crime reporting app in ‘Disc’, which has had an immediate impact with the business community.

“The addition of a dedicated police officer is another welcome boost. PC Cullimore has already introduced himself to businesses where his continuous presence and support will be invaluable. In the coming weeks we’ll be pulling together the city council’s enforcement team, Queensgate, City Link, Pub Watch and other partners to strengthen our approach in tackling crime and anti-social behaviour in the city centre.”

Funded by Peterborough’s Business Improvement District (BID) members, which is made up of more than 400 businesses and organisations across the city centre, the position is an additional role within neighbourhood policing in Peterborough.

Part of this campaign is the agreed funding of the additional policing resource which will be in post until 31 March 2025, to offer a highly visible presence within the BID area, specifically to engage with members, understand their issues and challenges and provide advice and support around crime prevention.

The officer will work with the local neighbourhood policing teams and partner agencies to look at the design and implementation of problem solving to reduce overall crime and anti-social behaviour (ASB) in the city centre, as well as representing the force within schemes such as Pub and Shop Watch.

More information about the campaign and the BID can be found on Peterborough Positive’s website at http://www.peterboroughpositive.co.uk/