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Tackling anti-social behaviour and safeguarding our community 

Addressing anti-social behaviour (ASB) is central to the Police and Crime Commissioner, Darryl Preston's mission to tackle crime and keep the communities of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough safe.

With ASB affecting the lives of people across the county, the Commissioner works to ensure the police and other partner agencies are listening to the public, working with them to act on their concerns and supporting them to assist themselves.

Tackling issues such as ASB featured as a top priority within the Commissioner’s 2021-2024 Police and Crime Plan, the success of which has been driven by multi-agency working and strategic initiatives to address the root causes of ASB such as substance abuse and a lack of youth engagement.

While the Commissioner and his team develop a new Plan for the next four years, preventing ASB remains a key priority.

Through funding Community Safety Partnerships and local initiatives under the Safer Streets scheme, the Commissioner encourages a ‘problem-solving’ approach between the police and partner agencies to address repeated incidents of crime and ASB in our communities.

Community Safety Partnerships

Community Safety Partnerships are integral to the Commissioner’s strategy to tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB), fostering a collaborative approach that brings together various stakeholders including police, local councils, health services, and community groups. These partnerships are instrumental in identifying priorities, developing action plans, and pooling resources to combat local issues.

The Commissioner supports initiatives that range from increased police patrols in hotspot areas, to community engagement activities designed to build social cohesion and deter potential offenders. Through regular meetings and data-sharing mechanisms, Community Safety Partnerships facilitate a unified response to ASB that is tailored to the unique needs of each area of our county. 

To find out how to contact your local Community Safety Partnership, click the button below.

Safer Streets

After securing a £698k funding boost from the Home Office's Safer Streets 5 fund, the Commissioner has invested in a series of evidence-led safety interventions to help tackle neighbourhood crime and keep our streets safe.

This funded the county's biggest ever violence against women and girls (VAWG) prevention programme, reducing the risk of VAWG in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Major improvements to protect residents from burglary and anti-social behaviour (ASB) were also included.

Safer Streets projects focus on environmental design and community-led interventions to enhance public safety in high-crime areas. Such work has included improving street lighting, installing CCTV cameras, and supporting educational programmes in schools and youth engagement initiatives to help divert young people from pathways that may lead to ASB and violence.

In Cambridge, Taxi Marshalls operate at taxi ranks on Friday and Saturday nights and Open Space Guardians, equipped with radios and body worn cameras, have been recruited to cover Jesus Green, Parker’s Piece, Christ’s Piece and Midsummer Common, seasonally.

Thanks to support from Cambridge City Council, bespoke training developed by Businesses Against Abuse in collaboration with Cambridge Rape Crisis, is being provided to day and night-time economy workers, including bus and taxi drivers, to help them identify, challenge and report predatory behaviour.

Collectively, these strategies underpin the Commissioner’s commitment to preventing and reducing crime and ASB through a blend of enforcement, community collaboration, and preventative measures, ensuring a safer and more harmonious environment for residents across the county.

Additionally, Cambridgeshire Constabulary has been given an extra £1 million to help combat ASB and serious violence across the county. A new crackdown on ASB and serious violence means extra daily visible police patrols are taking place in 20 areas in Cambridgeshire. This includes an increase in patrols within hot spot areas, with 596 patrols being carried out in May, rising to 882 in July.

“This significant investment into tackling the blight of anti-social behaviour and impact of serious violence is something I know residents want to see,” said Police and Crime Commissioner, Darryl Preston.

“I welcome the additional patrols already deployed across the county and am pleased to see the resulting increase in enforcement activity.”

To find out more about how Safer Streets funding is helping your community, click the button below.

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PCC announces extra investment to drive future solutions to crime and anti-social behaviour