Concerned about crime in Histon and Impington do come along to the next community meeting. It is less about coffee and far more about the cops – at the last meeting two police officers attended alongside dozens of village residents. The police were given a grilling but they listened and they were also able to tell their side of the story.

County Councillor, Ros Hathorn, was listening to local reports of crime, when things started to surge Ros contacted the police at the start of the summer. The police immediately recognised the need for a community police meeting as they had seen report numbers rising in Histon and Impington and the first community meeting was set up. At that first meeting the police promised to return in two months, after a nudge from Ros the police have set up a second meeting.

These meetings are a great opportunity to ask questions and be heard. It might be worth asking what the most effective measures a community can invest in to reduce crime are and what else can we do here?

District and County Councillors and the MP attended the first meeting and Ros is in close contact with the MP’s office who regularly meet with Cambridgeshire’s Chief Constable.

Alongside this the councillors work closely with their respective councils, both councils belong to the Community Safety Partnership which focusses on communities in South Cambridgeshire; looks at how to make them safer, supports the most vulnerable and invests in support for young people.

Who makes decisions about the police – speak directly to power

Local councillors have links with organisations that work closely with the police and have effective working relationships with the police but don’t have a say in how they operate. If you have concerns about the police the democratically elected representative, who we voted for in 2023, is the Police and Crime Commissioner, currently Daryl Preston, Conservative. This role is due to become a mayoral responsibility (Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority) the current mayor is Paul Bristow, Conservative. This isn’t a political attack on those individuals but it is important to recognise where power lies. If you have concerns about how the police operate please contact the Police and Crime Commissioner directly.