Residents will form crime action groups

Fed up locals to help gather information for police

Residents fed up with antisocial behaviour, drug dealing and gangs roaming their streets met with Peterborough’s police chief on Tuesday to organise themselves into action groups who will gather crime data.

Superintendent Andy Gipp explained to the audience at The Pavilion in Central Park that they are needed to help gather as much information as possible to help the police.

The meeting was part of an ongoing police strategy to get out into the community and encourage locals to take part in the battle to rid their streets of crime.

But some of the residents were sceptical of the lack of response they have been getting when calling 999 to report crime.

“If 10 people call 999 then that is logged as 10 separate ‘actions’, and that could exhaust our entire resources if we are dealing with other incidents,” Supt Gipp explained.

“What you need to do is get 10 people to call your local neighbourhood officer or PCSO and report to them what you have seen. That will be actioned as one incident 10 times over, and then given priority.”

Liam Sweeney, sergeant for the Eastern Sector, said: “If you wish to organise street patrols of two to three people to gather information on crime that you are witnessing in your area, then you are perfectly within your rights to do so.

“You are not vigilantes, so don’t confront the youths or the street workers as you will put yourself in danger. Just gather the information discreetly and report it to your PCSO, or anonymously through the police website, and we will take it from there.

“The challenge for us is not that we don’t care. It’s that we will run out of resources very quickly if we don’t organise the process of gathering criminal data – that’s where you come in.”

He added: “If you see a car screeching around your streets, or a prostitute selling herself outside your house, then video it with your phone as discreetly as possible so you’re not in any danger, and then send it in to us.”

Supt Gipp explained that the website has video upload facilities for traffic incidents and a different upload area for other crimes.

Supt Andy Gipp (middle) during the meeting