Neighbourhood Watch

For the first time you can report suspicious activity online.
The facility is part of Operation Twist, the crackdown on rural burglaries in Huntingdonshire and South Cambs.

People can report suspicious activity in the two districts through the force website or via email.

Offenders will often visit an area in the days leading up to a burglary to scope out potential targets. It’s at this point that people are most likely to notice something unusual but may not think it is worth reporting. We want descriptions of these people and any vehicle details that may be linked to them.

We appreciate that not everyone may want to phone through with this type of information and hope the online facility will provide an effective way of doing this.
However if people suspect there is a burglary in process then they should always dial 999.

To report suspicious activity or information about burglary visit the ‘Operation Twist’ page of the force website – www.cambs.police.uk. Or email – 

Patrols continue to be increased in rural villages, as well as investigative and forensic work to target those responsible.
Anyone with information should use the online facility or call police on 101. Or contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Please can I make you aware of a number of dwelling and business burglaries in the areas of Melbourn, Shepreth, Haslingfield, Bassingbourn, Barrington and Gamlingay in the last week.

The idea of this message is not to cause alarm but just to get you to think about your home security.

If you see anything which you feel uncomfortable about call us on the new non emergency number 101 or, if you see something actually happening (or you think may be about to happen) it’s 999 !

Thanks for your continued support.

Melbourn Neighbourhood Policing Team

We have had a report of a horse being ‘marked’. The owners of the horse found initials of ‘O R’ marked on a hoof of the horse. After speaking with their farrier they have been told that this is an activity that is carried out before the horse is stolen so the offenders know which horses are valuable. Other ways of ‘marking’ are to put a small plait in the tail.

If you or someone you know has horses could you please make them aware of the incident? If you do notice any unusual activity at a location that has horses then please use the 101 number or in an emergency dial 999.

I wanted to let you know that you can now contact Cambridgeshire Constabulary on 101 for all non-emergency calls.

The change comes part of a national programme to make 101 the single non-emergency number in England and Wales, giving residents an easy-to-remember number to contact local police wherever they are.

The call system is designed to recognise where you are calling from and connect you with the local police service. If you did not want to speak to your local force, or the force area you are in, you will be given the option to be connected to different one.

The number change does not affect the way that calls are handled and we will continue to take non-emergency calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Please continue to call 999 when an immediate response is needed because a crime is happening, someone suspected of a crime is nearby, or someone is in danger.

Kind regards,

Superintendent Mike Brown

101

http://www.police.uk/101 – Details on 101 and the national roll-out

You have the chance to help shape the future of policing in Cambridgeshire using a new online tool.

The ‘Have your say’ section on the force website will feature weekly projects being considered for a more efficient and effective policing model.

The force faces a number of challenges over the next few years as we work to balance the books and ensure we make the best use of resources.
Work is already underway to review the existing force structure to create a new policing model that provides the best possible service to the public.

Our focus remains on frontline duties and a commitment to bringing offenders to justice and keeping people safe.
Now you can get involved in helping us achieve this by having your say about the changes being made to the force.

We are very interested in your opinions and will be taking the responses into account as we redesign the force’s structure.
Each week a topic under review will be posted on the force website for people to comment on or post questions.

All comments, questions and answers will be viewable and the forum will be live for at least the next three months.

The first topic will be the review of all non-frontline duties carried out by police officers. This includes managerial, analytical, training and call handling.
Over the life of the restructure we will look at each of the officers in these posts and consider which should be returned to the frontline and in what timeframe.

Kind regards

Chief Constable Simon Parr

http://www.cambs.police.uk/newpolicingapproach/haveyoursay/ – ‘Have your say’

We often get asked about the difference between Police Constables and Police Community Support Officers. PCSO’s are uniformed staff whose role is to support the work of police officers within the community in Neighbourhood Policing Teams. They are a vital part of these teams and a large part of their role is to patrol in communities and work with organisations like the local councils to tackle the menace of anti-social behaviour.

PCSO’s do not have the same powers of arrest as police officers, although they do have the right to detain suspected offenders for up to thirty minutes until a police officer arrives. They also are able to give tickets for certain offences such as parking and littering. You can find out more about the role of a PCSO on our website.

Fireworks offer great entertainment, a spectacular display of sparkling shapes and colours and are used to celebrate numerous festivities throughout the year. There are many legal restrictions and safety guidelines surrounding firework use. They can only be sold by registered retailers, they cannot be bought or carried by anyone under 18, sparklers should not be given to children under the age of five years and older children should always be supervised when using sparklers.

It is illegal to ignite fireworks between 11pm and 7am except on:

November 5 (Bonfire night) – until midnight

New Year’s Eve – 1am on the following day

Chinese New Year – 1am on the following day

Diwali – 1am on the following day
When using fireworks there is an increased risk of injury if people ignore simple safety guidelines. Residents are therefore encouraged to attend properly supervised, organised events.

Remember, remember… Stay safe and please:
Do not throw fireworks in a public place
Do not carry fireworks if you are under 18
Do not let fireworks off after midnight

The police can stop and search for fireworks in any public place. Offences are punishable by £80 fixed penalty notice.

There is a dedicated phone number for people with communication difficulties.

The police enhancement access line (PEAL) is available 24 hours a day for non-emergency calls for anyone who has a communication difficulty.

Those wanting to use the system must register first to ensure their details are already in the system.  They will then be given the dedicated number
which allow them to contact specially trained call taker.

The scheme can be used for all non-emergency calls.  In the event of an emergency people should always call 999.

For more information about the scheme contact the police service centre on 101 or visit the force website – www.cambs.police.uk.

To contact the police:

In an emergency dial 999

For non-emergency dial 101

Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 (Anonymous reporting option available.)

Always ask for an Incident Reference Number and feedback if you need it.

To email the NPT about an incident, send to 
These NPT Officers may be off-duty , on leave or on training for several days.

Only use these contacts for non-urgent information. Do not use them for first contact
reporting of incidents .