Cambridgeshire Constabulary

Cambridgeshire Constabulary

Logo of the Cambridgeshire Constabulary
Agency overview
Formed 1851, 1965 (merger)
Preceding agencies
Annual budget £110.5m (2006/07)
Legal personality Governmental: Government agency
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction* Police area of Cambridgeshire in the country of England, UK
Map of police area
Size 3,389 km²
Population 0.7 million
Legal jurisdiction England & Wales
Constituting instrument Police Act 1964
General nature
Operational structure
Headquarters Huntingdon
Police officers 1,384[1]
PCSOs 195
Police and Crime Commissioner responsible Jason Ablewhite
Agency executive Alec Wood, Chief Constable
Area Commands Peterborough, Fenland, Huntingdonshire, Cambridge, South Cambridgeshire and East Cambridgeshire
Facilities
Stations
Website
www.cambs.police.uk
Footnotes
* Police area agency: Prescribed geographic area in the country, over which the agency has usual operational jurisdiction.

Cambridgeshire Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement within the ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire in the United Kingdom. In addition to the non-metropolitan county, the Police area includes the city of Peterborough, which became a unitary authority area in 1998. The Chief Constable is Alec Wood, who replaced Simon Parr in July 2015, as acting Chief Constable but was subsequently permanently appointed to the role the following month. The Deputy Chief Constable (Support) is Mark Hopkins and the Assistant Chief Constable (Operations) is Andy Hebb.

The force is divided into six area commands, each based on the areas of local district councils: Cambridge, East Cambridgeshire, Fenland, Huntingdonshire, Peterborough and South Cambridgeshire. Previously, there were three divisions: Northern, Central and Southern, however these were abolished in 2012.

The force's headquarters is situated at Hinchingbrooke Park on the outskirts of Huntingdon. There is a centralised call centre for the county at Copse Court (opposite Thorpe Wood) in Peterborough.

The force's non-emergency number is 101 which was introduced on 1 February 2012, previously it was 0345 456 4564 (since 2011) and 0845 456 4564 (prior to 2011).

History

1841–1965

The first formal police force in the area started in the Isle of Ely in 1841 by the magistrate of the Isle. This followed in the city of Cambridge by the original Cambridgeshire Constabulary in 1851. Huntingdonshire and Peterborough didn't start their forces until 1857 by the County and Borough Police Act 1856.

1965–1974

In 1965, Cambridgeshire Constabulary amalgamated with Cambridge City Police (called Cambridge Borough Police until 1951), Isle of Ely Constabulary, Huntingdonshire Constabulary, and Peterborough Combined Police (created in 1947 from a merger of the Liberty of Peterborough Constabulary and the Peterborough City Police) to form Mid-Anglia Constabulary, with the same boundaries as the current force. This force initially had an establishment of 805 and an actual strength of 728.[2] A separate Wisbech Borough Police had already merged with the Isle of Ely Constabulary in 1889.

1974–2010

The force was renamed Cambridgeshire Constabulary in 1974, when the new non-metropolitan county of Cambridgeshire was created by the Local Government Act 1972 with identical boundaries to the Mid-Anglia Constabulary area.[3]

In 2001 the constabulary conducted one of Peterborough's biggest police enquiries following the racist murder of teenager Ross Parker.[4]

2002 saw the Soham murders, an event that led to the biggest investigation in the history of Cambridgeshire police and one of the most expensive in the country, costing £3.5million.[5]

Proposals made by the then Home Secretary, Charles Clarke, in March 2006 would have seen the force merge with neighbouring Norfolk Constabulary and Suffolk Constabulary to form a strategic police force for East Anglia.[6] While Norfolk supported the proposal; Suffolk indicated it would have preferred a merger with Norfolk and Essex Constabulary, although wanted to explore the viability of options other than merger; and Cambridgeshire expressed a preference to stand alone. In July 2006 however, the Home Office announced that all plans to merge police forces had been abandoned by the incoming John Reid.

2010–Present

Since 2010, there has been reorganisation and collaboration of the force with nearby Hertfordshire Constabulary and Bedfordshire Police under the banner of "Op ReDesign", with many departments merging such as Tactical Firearms Unit, Dog Section and Uniform Stores.

In 2013, Cambridgeshire officers attempted to infiltrate student political groups at Cambridge University including UK Uncut and Unite Against Fascism by attempting to persuade an activist to become an informant.[7][8]

In 2015 the constabulary hit controversy when it was announced that it would not review CCTV footage of bicycle thefts.[9]

Governance

Cambridgeshire Constabulary's HQ in Huntingdon

Prior to 2012, Cambridgeshire Constabulary was overseen by a police authority that comprised 17 members. This was made up of nine district councillors, of which seven were nominated by Cambridgeshire County Council and two by Peterborough City Council, three magistrates, nominated by the county's Magistrates' Courts Committee; and five independent members, chosen from the community.[10] However, In 2011 the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 was passed by Parliament which abolished Police Authorities in favour of an elected Police and Crime Commissioner. On 15 November 2012, elections took place in England and Wales to elect a Police and Crime Commissioner for each Police Area. In Cambridgeshire, the winning candidate was Conservative Sir Graham Bright, former MP for Luton. The Cambridgeshire Police and Crime Commissioner is scrutinised by the Cambridgeshire Police and Crime Panel, made up of elected councillors from the local authorities in the police area.

Cambridgeshire Commissioner election, 2012
Party Candidate 1st Round % 2nd Round Total  First Round Votes  Transfer Votes 
Conservative Sir Graham Bright 23,731 26.8% 7,909 31,640
​​
Labour Ed Murphy 17,576 19.8% 7,538 25,114
​​
UKIP Paul Bullen 14,504 16.4%
​​
Independent Ansar Ali 12,706 14.3%
​​
Liberal Democrat Rupert Moss-Eccardt 7,530 8.5%
​​
English Democrat Stephen Goldspink 7,219 8.1%
​​
Independent Farooq Mohammed 5,337 6%
​​
Turnout 91,501 15.9%
Conservative win

Officers killed in the line of duty

The "Police Roll of Honour Trust" lists and commemorates all British police officers killed in the line of duty, and since its establishment in 1984 has erected over 38 memorials to some of those officers.

The following officers of Cambridgeshire Constabulary were killed while they were on duty:[11]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Tables for 'Police workforce, England and Wales, 31 March 2013". HM Government. Office for National Statistics. 31 March 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  2. ↑ The Thin Blue Line Police Council for Great Britain Staff Side Claim for Undermanning Supplements, 1965
  3. ↑ Cambridgeshire Constabulary History The Badgers Lair (retrieved 11 December 2005)
  4. ↑ ROSS PARKER TRIAL: Cold-blooded, racist murder - Peterborough Telegraph
  5. ↑ Police get extra £3.5 million for Soham inquiry - Telegraph
  6. ↑ Police forces 'to be cut to 24' BBC News, 20 March 2006 19:11 GMT
  7. ↑ Police tried to spy on Cambridge students, secret footage shows | UK news | The Guardian
  8. ↑ Thean, Tara (21 March 2014). "How the police talk to students". LRB blog. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  9. ↑ http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Row-police-rule-low-quality-CCTV-snare-Cambridge/story-26023371-detail/story.html
  10. ↑ About the Authority Cambridgeshire Police Authority (retrieved 9 December 2007)
  11. ↑ "Police Roll of Honour Trust". Retrieved 19 May 2014.
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