Big increase in robbery and stalking crimes

Police chiefs have said Cambridgeshire remains a safe place to live - despite a rise in robberies and stalking offences in the county.

Cambridgeshire Police and Crime Commissioner Jason Ablewhite said the force was doing all they could to address concerns, after a one per cent rise in recorded crime was revealed,

While there was only a small rise in overall crime, there was a big jump in stalking and harassment cases, up 20 per cent to 2,768. In Cambridgeshire there were 753 robberies, up 22 per cent from the previous year, However, it was not all bad news, as the county’s police force recorded an eight per cent drop in reports of burglary, falling to 5,678.

Mr Ablewhite said: “I want to take this opportunity to reassure people that a great deal of work has been put in by the Constabulary since then to address these concerns. Burglary remains a force priority and one the Constabulary is working hard to tackle, however it is important to stress the increase seen last summer is below the national average. Efforts such as Operation Hawkesbury in November saw the conviction of 10 offenders who had committed more than 200 burglaries across our villages.

“As a reporting category, stalking and harassment is relatively new, therefore I am pleased to see people coming forward to report this serious crime and announced an enhanced offer of dedicated support in partnership with national stalking charity the Suzy Lamplugh Trust last year to ensure victims receive appropriate support.”

A spokesman for Cambridgeshire police said counting rules on stalking offences were changed in April 2018, which led to the rise.

Crime commissioner Jason Ablewhite