Neighbourhood policing teams across Cumbria delivered a week of proactive activity last week to tackle crime, address anti-social behaviour and strengthen community relationships as part of national Neighbourhood Policing Week (15-19 June).
Officers and Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) from Eden, Copeland, Carlisle, Allerdale, South Lakes and Furness carried out a wide range of activity, including high-visibility patrols, targeted enforcement operations, community engagement events and partnership working to address local priorities.
A number of warrants were executed in West Cumbria as part of proactive enforcement activity, targeting suspected criminality and disrupting ongoing issues which led to one charge and drugs being seized.
A key focus of the week was engagement with local communities, with officers taking part in a range of events and visits.
This included:
- School inputs on topics such as personal safety, online awareness and anti-social behaviour
- Community drop-in sessions where residents could speak directly with officers
- Visits to local businesses to provide reassurance and discuss local issues
In more rural areas, including Eden and South Lakes, officers carried out dedicated patrols focused on road safety and rural crime and responded to a number of incidents on our county’s roads.
In Kendal, where illegal e-bikes remain a key community concern, neighbourhood officers carried out targeted patrols, resulting in the seizure of an unlawfully modified electric motorbike and the arrest of a rider for drink driving and traffic offences.
Throughout the week, officers across the county carried out visible patrols in town centres, residential areas and known anti-social behaviour hotspots, such as Carlisle city centre, to provide reassurance to the public and deter crime.
Chief Superintendent Andy Wilkinson, Neighbourhood Policing Lead, said: “Neighbourhood Policing Week gives us the opportunity to recognise and celebrate the outstanding work that officers and staff in our NPTs are doing all year round to keep our communities safe.
“They are at the heart of their communities and are a huge part of day-to-day policing in Cumbria.
“Having these visible, community focussed officers mean we are able to offer an accessible police presence and gain a greater understanding of the issues which need to be addressed – especially within our more rural locations.
“Whilst this week of action is used to highlight the work the teams do its important to note that this work goes on all year round, day in day out, and I am extremely proud of the role they perform.”
Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, David Allen, said: “Visibility and Community policing are the main requests I receive from the public, people want a named officer responsible for their particular area. This is a priority to me and is one of the promises that I made to the public of Cumbria when I took up office in 2024. I am delighted to be able to report that over the last year, we have placed more resources into neighbourhood policing.
“An additional 26 named Community Beat Officers (CBO) have been placed across the county, raising the number of CBOs from 58 to 84. Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) numbers have also increased to 50 of 60 budgeted posts. This is a significant increase in numbers and it is a move that reflects the Constabulary stance that neighbourhood policing is the model to which it aspires and strives to deliver for the residents of and the visitors to Cumbria.
“Neighbourhood Policing Teams are vital to building a positive and trusting relationship between the Police and residents, as is a more focused and local problem-solving approach based on quality. Building and retaining that trust is invaluable, it is what makes policing in Cumbria special and amongst the best in the country and I want to ensure this is fostered as much as possible.
“I want to thank our Neighbourhood Policing Teams (NPTs) across the county for everything they do – their work keeps our streets safe at a very personal level for everyone to enjoy.
“Keeping our communities safe is a joint effort so I would ask residents to continue to report any criminal activity or suspicious behaviour to the Police on 101 or 999 in an emergency. Every report helps us build intelligence to protect Cumbria’s safety.”