Westminster Life: Putting more police on the beat

Earlier this week, Cambridgeshire Police confirmed further arrests since the triple stabbing in Paston earlier in August. The police do incredible work tackling violent crime, dealing with anti-social behaviour and keeping our streets safe.

The role of neighbourhood policing won’t stop every incident but local bobbies on the beat are an important part of the answer in keeping our city and country safe.

It was also one of the biggest issues raised with me during the recent General Election. People want to see more police on the streets working with shop keepers, schools and community groups; and getting to know local areas.

The current model is stretched. After a decade of cuts, neighbourhood police teams cover huge areas of the city. This isn’t an accident, but the result of political choices and cuts over the last 14 years. Community policing has been downgraded. Powers to combat anti-social behaviour and shoplifting weakened leaving our town centres exposed. Our prisons become full without investment in new capacity.

One particular area I am focused on is shoplifting and the abuse of shopworkers going about their work. Abuse should not be part of any job. I used my Maiden Speech in the House of Commons to thank Co-operative shop staff in Eye for sharing their experiences of retail crime with me on a recent visit. This isn’t just about our urban areas. Residents, businesses and farmers across our rural areas have spoken to me

about the rise in theft and fly tipping.

In recent weeks, I’ve met with business owners in the city centre and shop workers across the city to hear more about their experiences. The city centre, in particular, is the welcome sign for the city. It is clear more needs to be done to make it a more welcoming place for residents and visitors alike.

It was great to meet the Peterborough Positive team and to hear more about the work of local businesses in funding a city centre police officer.

This is welcome support for businesses, but we need a joined-up approach with the council, police and support services working together to clean up the city centre and to offer extra support to those that need it.

I’ve shared the experience of Peterborough Positive and local shop workers with Ministers putting forward the case that we need support to improve neighbourhood policing and deal with antisocial behaviour.

I’m really pleased that new Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper MP, will use the forthcoming Crime and Policing Bill to give the police stronger powers to ban repeat shoplifters from town centres. The legislation will also strengthen neighbourhood policing and ensure shoplifting offences are taken more seriously, including scrapping a rule, introduced in 2014, that means the police must treat thefts of goods under £200 as a lesser offence.

None of this is easy to fix. The last government knew the cost of everything and value of nothing. Austerity may have been quick to implement but repairing the damage to our public services will take time. I’m already on the case and will make turning our city centre around, and backing new neighbourhood policing, a priority as our MP.