Resources 'a big challenge' for Cambridgeshire Police as violence down by a fifth
The force's two-month Winter of Action is coming to an end
As Cambridgeshire Police's Winter of Action comes to an end, the force has said staffing continues to be "a big challenge".
The two-month campaign saw police work with local authorities to tackle issues affecting town and city centres, such as retail crime, anti-social behaviour and night-time safety.
"Resourcing is a big challenge for us," Steve Ashton, chief inspector of neighbourhood policing across the north of Cambridgeshire, said.
"The winter initiative was a government-led approach and it encouraged us to move some of our resources in towards the (Peterborough) city centre.
"So, the challenge for us moving forward is going to be resources, making sure we're able to put cops in the right place at the right time."
Violent crime down by more than a fifth
Cambridgeshire Police found violent crime reduced by 22% last month compared to the same time in 2024, while anti-social behaviour also dropped.
The end of the latest Winter of Action comes as Home Office figures show officer numbers in the county have fallen in the past year, dropping to 1,707 which is 18 less than last September.
While on patrol with police last month, Sergeant Chris Arnold - from the Peterborough city centre neighbourhood police team, said "by putting boots on the ground and having an emphasis on the winter action plan, we can hopefully make a real difference in the local community."
But without a higher police presence, Ch Insp Ashton feels other crimes like shopworker abuse wouldn't be tackled as well.
"In terms of our increased presence in the city centres, that's been crucial to covering these areas; the decrease in violent crime is reflective of our visibility," he said.
"We can always do more with more, but I think the commitment to neighbourhood policing across Cambridgeshire has been really loud and hopefully with the returns from the winter initiative, it's starting to bear fruit."
Rural areas need attention, says PCC
To help maintain officer numbers, Cambridgeshire's Police and Crime Panel agreed to raise the policing part of the council tax bill for 2026-27 by 5%.
It's a rise that Darryl Preston - the county's police and crime commissioner - asked for to help sustain what he said is "the strong and visible policing presence that is so important to our communities".
This week, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood unveiled plans to cut the number of police forces nationally by the end of the next parliament as part of major changes revealed in the Government’s White Paper on police reforms.
Mr Preston - whose role is set to be abolished in 2028 - has raised concerns around the move, citing issues around how effective a merger would be and holding police forces to account.
But although he supports initiatives like the Winter of Action, he believes the more rural areas of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough must not be forgotten about.
"We have three cities and it's right the chief constable puts resources in those areas that need them most, but that can't impact all our other communities," he added.
"We had the summer initiative, we've now had the winter initiative; as far as I'm concerned, we have a whole year initiative and that's business as usual; I'd be expecting the chief constable to keep all our communities safe."
Speaking at Cambridgeshire Police HQ in Huntingdon last year, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said 3,000 new officers would be in post by this year with 13,000 extra staff by 2029 as part of the Government's neighbourhood policing guarantee.