Over £1.4 million of extra funding to help tackle crimes including sexual violence and domestic abuse has been secured for Cambridgeshire.

The funding was secured by police and crime commissioner Darryl Preston, who was elected to the role last May.

“It is clear progress is being made against the priorities I outlined in my police and crime plan,” he said.

Just short of £560,000 has been provided for eight extra specially trained staff over two years to support the most vulnerable victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence.

Mr Preston has seen more than £471,000 from the Home Office’s Safer Streets fund to keep streets safe in Cambridgeshire, as well as around £19,000 to support male victims of rape.

The £1.4m sum also includes just shy of £100,000 to support victims and survivors of domestic and child sexual abuse with a specialist independent adviser.

Mr Preston said: “I have announced a project to provide rape survivors an opportunity to shape police services, worked with partners to keep our streets safer for women and girls.

“I welcomed a new dog abduction law which takes into account the emotional distress caused to both owner and dog.”

Several organisations were awarded £190,000 to continue their work to tackle and prevent crime.

This includes:

  • Ongoing investment and support to the county’s six community safety partnerships to tackle local crime and anti-social behaviour;

  • Over £100k to support people in contact with the criminal justice system who misuse drugs to help break the cycle of addiction;

  • £26k to tackle community speeding in towns and villages;

  • £37k to Cambridgeshire Countryside Watch to step up efforts to prevent crime in rural communities;

  • £26.5k funding to enable access to online programmes to help prevent crime through early intervention.

But despite the extra funds, Mr Preston is keen not to stop there.

“I will continue to deliver against my police and crime plan with a sole aim of keeping people in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough safe,” he added.

“I would like to thank everyone who has supported me during my first year and look forward to serving the county for the next two years.”