Crime rise prompts new plan to tackle rural issues in South Cambridgeshire

Nine areas have been highlighted after a ‘concerning’ rise in crime was reported. South Cambridgeshire District Council has reported ‘concerning trends’ after a rise in rural crime in a number of areas.

The council’s cabinet has approved a new plan to combat shoplifting with a focus on specific wards. A report said the focus should be on areas which “are flagging on multiple crime and activity types” or where “professional concern indicates a need for a focus”.

These include Cambourne, Histon and Impington with a focus on Orchard Park, Northstowe, Milton and Waterbeach, Fen Ditton and Fulbourn and any other areas where “the data shows spikes or concerning trends”.

It will allow the South Cambridgeshire Community Partnership – a joint effort between the council and emergency services and voluntary groups – to work to address the problem.

Cllr Dr Lisa Redrup, lead cabinet member for healthy communities, said there were “several new priorities” for the partnership this year. The Liberal Democrat councillor said this included looking at rural shoplifting as “rates have been rising” and it is a “really difficult problem”. She said the partnership would help to find different ways to tackle it.

It also said that there was a “concerning” and “large increase” in drug offences over the last year, but this may have been down to how they were recorded.

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Cllr Bridget Smith, leader of the council, said she was “very pleased” that tackling rural shoplifting was made a priority as she has witnessed it herself. The Liberal Democrat councillor said: “The gall with which it is carried out is quite mind boggling actually.

“It makes shop workers feel incredibly vulnerable and actually makes other people going to shops where this is happening in such a laden fashion feel very very vulnerable as well.”

She said small supermarkets were particularly at risk as they sell “some quite high value goods” and asked if advice could be given to them. She said: “Now that food prices are so very high, stealing a steak is actually quite an expensive thing to nick really. If there’s any more that could be done that would be really helpful.”

The cabinet approved the new operational and communications plan for the community safety partnership for 2026/27.

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire Constabulary said: “We’re aware shoplifting can have a huge impact on those involved in the business community as well as local residents, and this is one of the reasons why it is a key issue for officers across the county.

“We work closely with retailers concerning shoplifting and seeking prosecutions where possible. For repeat offenders, we are applying for Criminal Behaviour Orders preventing them from entering areas where they have previously committed crime.

“We have a Spree Offender Team who proactively arrest and seek to charge prolific shoplifters.

“The force would also encourage businesses to reporting shoplifting to us as it helps our officers build a bigger picture of what is happening across the county.

“This can be done online (https://www.cambs.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/), calling 101 or 999 in an emergency.”

They also said that drug-dealing “remains a priority” for their teams and said the rise in offences could be due to “two factors – proactive policing work and a change in recording practices.”

They said police across the country have been carrying out “proactive stop-searches in hotspot areas”, but also that all reports from border forces of drugs intercepted coming into the country are now recorded as crimes rather than intelligence items.

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