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National Volunteers Week 2025

A Special Thank You to All Volunteers 

Community Scrutiny Panel

Today we are marking Volunteers’ Week – a campaign observed across the UK every year to celebrate and honour the valuable contribution made by volunteers

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our volunteers, in policing and beyond, for the outstanding work they do to make Cambridgeshire and Peterborough a better place to live, work and visit. Without their efforts and dedication, and the thousands of hours they collectively dedicate to their roles, the county would not be the safe and welcoming place it is today, and their support is truly appreciated.

As we mark Volunteers Week 2025, we delve a little deeper into the unique roles and responsibilities of our policing volunteers whose efforts are helping to keep our glorious county safe.

Darryl Preston

Police and Crime Commissioner

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

Building trust and confidence in policing is a key priority in the Commissioner’s Police and Crime Plan and he has a whole team of passionate, community-driven volunteers to help him improve transparency and accountability of the force’s work.

Members of the Commissioner’s Scrutiny Panel come from all walks of life and backgrounds to scrutinise the force’s Use of Force and Stop and Search powers, objectively reviewing incidents through Body Worn Video footage or records to ensure tactics have been properly and ethically exercised in accordance with UK legislation.

Members are encouraged to speak freely and honestly and provide honest feedback which is feedback to the constabulary.

The Commissioner recently attended the Panel’s AGM where volunteers were praised for their many successes throughout the year, including positive recognition from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) and the College of Policing for their impact on the force’s ability to execute powers reasonably and proportionately.

The scrutiny panel can also be taken directly to your local school or community group, if you would like to discuss this opportunity get in touch via email.

email:cambs-pcc@cambs.police.uk

Independent Custody Visitors

Independent Custody Visitors (ICVs) are volunteers who work as part of a team making unannounced visits to police custody suites where people are brought and held following arrest.

ICVs make one or two visits per month to the force’s custody facilities, talking to detainees directly (with their consent) and paying special attention to those who are young or vulnerable through illness, injury or disability. ICVs also speak to custody staff and monitor the physical condition of custody facilities.

ICVs in Cambridgeshire have instigated many positive changes. These include making female hygiene packs freely available, ensuring the availability of language cards to aid interviews when no English is spoken and ensuring vulnerable children, adults and pets at detainee’s home are taken care of appropriately.

Animal Welfare Visiting Scheme

Cambridgeshire’s beloved canine crime fighters play a vital role in keeping communities safe.

To ensure they receive the care and high standards of welfare they deserve, volunteers recruited as part of the Animal Welfare Visiting Scheme undertake regular unannounced visits across the three forces of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire to scrutinise processes.

The Volunteers primary focus is the welfare of the police dog. They carry out inspections of the animal, the kennel where appropriate and the vehicle used to transport the dog to ensure that the dog is treated fairly and humanely in its line of duty.

Volunteers receive ongoing refresher training by the Dogs Trust to enable them to sharpen their scrutiny skills.

Supporting victims of crime Victims of crime remain at the heart of the criminal justice system and PCCs across the country are working hard to provide victims and survivors with the support and protection they need to keep safe and overcome the trauma brought by offending. Supporting Victims and Witnesses is a key pillar of the Commissioner’s Police and Crime Plan, and he continues to fund a wealth of services offering practical and emotional help to support the recovery journey, most of which are partly staffed by volunteers. These include Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Rape Crisis, the Road Victims’ Trust and the Victim and Witness Hub. These services are in high demand and providers would not be able to meet the volume of support required without the dedication of volunteers.

Vision Zero Team 

The Vision Zero Partnership is a group of organisations committed to preventing all road deaths across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and to reduce the severity of injuries and economic and social costs of road traffic collisions.

As part of the Vision Zero strategy, Special Constables visit communities across the force area to deliver road safety talks and to provide additional enforcement activity covering thousands of miles in Vision Zero vans, funded by the PCC. They issue Traffic Offence Reports (TORS) for offences such as speeding, mobile phones, seat belts and no insurance.

Vision Zero Safer Speeds Team volunteers play a vital role in taking risky drivers off the road before they go on to cause serious harm.