Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced that 3,000 new neighbourhood police and community support officers (PCSOs) will hit the streets by March 2026, with Cambridgeshire named among the areas to benefit.
Speaking during a visit to Huntingdon, the PM promised to tackle what he called a “culture of crime” and restore visible policing across England and Wales. Starmer highlighted that 90% of crimes currently go unsolved, and pledged that every community would soon have named local officers patrolling during peak hours.
Cambridgeshire residents can expect to see more officers on the beat as part of a broader commitment to recruit 13,000 neighbourhood officers by 2029. The first wave will include 2,500 police officers and nearly 400 PCSOs.
We’ve got to end this culture of crime that is destroying our communities
Starmer said. “These officers won’t be stuck behind desks. They’ll be out in our towns, visible, engaging, and protecting.”
Alongside the recruitment push, a £66 million “summer crime blitz” will fund police patrols targeting shoplifters, phone thieves, and anti-social behaviour in town centres. The move follows a reported one million incidents of anti-social behaviour across the UK last year.
However, financial pressures loom. Despite the Home Office committing £100 million in additional neighbourhood policing funds in January, police chiefs have warned of a £1.3 billion funding gap. Shadow ministers from the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats raised concerns about sustainability, while the Green Party called for investment in youth services to support long-term solutions.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper defended Labour’s strategy, noting, “We’re investing over a billion pounds more into policing this year compared to last.”
As plans roll out, Cambridgeshire residents will be watching closely to see if promises of safer, more visible neighbourhood policing become reality.
