Trust in police rises in city street, council says

Trust in police in a city centre community has risen as a result of a project aimed at fighting organised crime, a council has said.

Peterborough City Council said the Alliance project centred on Lincoln Road in Millfield had led to increased confidence in policing and a "700% increase in community intelligence reporting".

The project was a collaboration between the council and Cambridgeshire Police, with the goals of disrupting criminal groups and maintaining safe spaces.

It was part of the Home Office's Clear, Hold and Build strategy, which was rolled out to police forces across England in 2023.

Police said Lincoln Road was chosen for the project based on data that suggested there was a "concentration of organised crime in that area", the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The council says 700,000 illegal cigarettes have been seized in the area, as well as 20,000 vapes and £115,000 in cash.

New drug needle bins were also installed.

However, in the report by the council to a scrutiny committee on Thursday, Alliance struggled to make inroads with local groups.

There was "limited capacity and interest within community groups to engage with Alliance," the council said, making it "challenging to gain more widespread community involvement".

The Home Office said that, nationally, it found "no evidence" the initiative "improved community perceptions" of policing, despite having a "positive impact" on crime.

It also conceded that not offering funding alongside the Clear, Hold and Build framework was a "key barrier".

Police said the agencies involved in Alliance would continue to look for funding for the project in Millfield, but would not immediately implement it elsewhere in the city as it was an "intense project about longevity and sustainability".

Insp Sam Tucker, from Cambridgeshire Police, said: "We can definitely use some of the concepts in there but to use this initiative in its entirety is unlikely."

Peterborough City Council have also been trying to create a cafe culture along Lincoln Road through upgrades including widening the pavements, introducing new pedestrian crossings and adding planters and benches.

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