Police Commissioner Advocates for ‘Proper Central Funding’ of Officer Increase Plan

A police and crime commissioner has expressed support for government proposals to augment officer numbers, yet simultaneously issued a “plea” for the initiative to be “properly funded centrally”. Darryl Preston, who holds responsibility for policing across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, made these comments subsequent to the release of his Police and Crime Plan for 2025 to 2028. The former superintendent also voiced his skepticism regarding the feasibility of Sir Keir Starmer’s pledge for a named, contactable police officer in every neighbourhood. Preston stated that his policing plan would prioritise early intervention, addressing crime and anti-social behaviour, offering support to victims and witnesses, and fostering public confidence in the police. The commitment to recruit 13,000 additional neighbourhood police, police community support officers (PCSOs), and special constables was a component of Labour’s election manifesto. Preston, who was re-elected as a Conservative for a new four-year term in May, remarked: “At the moment there’s no detailed plan.” He continued, “We’re told that’s a mix of police officers, PCSOs and special constable – my plea is this: it needs to be properly funded centrally.” Police personnel figures declined after the 2010 election, before experiencing a resurgence post-2019 following the Conservative government’s commitment to recruit 20,000 new officers. In August, Preston reported that the county now boasts a record number of police officers. “We want local officers with that local knowledge talking to our community groups, councillors etc, for non-emergency crime related issues [but] the idea of having the personal phone number of your local bobby, I don’t think that could work.” He added, “They’ll be on leave, they’ll be busy – we need proper processes in place.” When questioned about the use of illegal e-scooters or cyclists without lights, he mentioned seeing a recent social media post by officers addressing precisely those issues. He then added: “I know that the chief constable just wouldn’t have the resources to deal with it all the time, but I know that’s a problem in Cambridge and elsewhere.” Preston highlighted that operating e-scooters on public roads is unlawful unless they are rented as part of a government-approved scheme, with one such scheme operational in Cambridge. He noted that “everyone looks to the police” to enforce restrictions on e-scooter usage, but also stated, “you can buy these things from major retailers… if you go and buy one from a shop and ride one round the street, you are actually breaking the law”.