Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Police and Crime Commissioner Darryl Preston is asking the public how much they would be prepared to pay towards policing in 2024/25.

54 per cent of Cambridgeshire Constabulary’s funding comes from government, while the remaining 46 per cent comes from the policing part of council tax (known as the precept).

The commissioner said: “With record numbers of new officers to support, and increased costs to manage, funding must work harder than ever to sustain performance and strengthen our resilience against future challenges.

“The money Cambridgeshire gets from government is one of the lowest in the country and does not reflect our growing population.

“I have and will continue to lobby government on your behalf to review this issue.”

Police and Crime Commissioners have been told by Government that they are able to raise the police element of council tax by up to £13 per year (25p a week for the average band D household), which equates to a 4.8% increase.

“The good news is that Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are safe places to live, with significant reductions in rural crime (24%) and neighbourhood crime (23%) across the county compared to pre-covid times,” says Darryl.

This includes a: 

  • 37% drop in residential burglary offences
  • 15% drop in personal robbery offences
  • 12% drop in theft from the person offences
  • 48% drop in hare coursing and poaching
  • 36% reduction in rural criminal damage
  • 57% reduction for cycle theft in Cambridge city

“This is in no small part due to the hundreds more officers we have, more than ever before - 1,343 in 2015, and 1,732 now,” adds the commissioner.

“I understand that many of you want to see more of those new extra officers in your neighbourhoods.”

The survey is available here and will be open until 5pm on January 2 next year.

If you would like a hard copy or would prefer to give your views by telephone, please call 0300 333 3456 or email cambs-pcc@cambs.police.uk.