Cambs Cops: Our Stories

DS Dan Scott is the first to admit he underestimated the impact retail crime has on those working in the industry. For some staff dealing with shoplifters is a daily occurrence which can leave them victim to violence and threatening behaviour.

While the financial cost to the industry is in the billions, with a misconception that perhaps this is a victimless crime the impact on individuals is significant.

An escalating pattern of behaviour could be putting women in danger and officers need to act fast. This episode explores the vulnerable nature of the street sex worker industry in Peterborough and how it is policed. 

PC Sarah-Kate Watson talks about how an unusual case involving an escalating pattern of strange behaviour was managed.

A case involving something the team ‘had never seen before’.

A man who has spent more than half of his life in prison shares his story as part of a new podcast series focused on prevention.

 

“I want to give myself a chance – turning away from a life of crime”, Ian Edwards, 57, talks about his attempts to leave his criminal past behind him.

 

He speaks candidly about the chaos, addiction, and anger that consumed his teenage years and led to him committing a series of armed robberies that ended with a life prison sentence.

In this episode we will be discussing the force’s work to prevent violence against women and girls. This is a priority area for the force and has involved a long-term behaviour change campaign and several education projects. This includes training CCTV operators, taxi drivers, door staff and businesses in spotting the signs of predatory behaviour. It was this training that led CCTV operators to call police to the aid of a woman who was in distress in Peterborough last year, after recognising the signs of a predatory man. Warning – this episode involves discussions around sexual assaults.

In this episode we are joined by Tom Wilby, from the force’s Demand Hub, who discusses what it is like to be the first person to speak to someone in an emergency and in need of police support. Tom talks about the types of emergency calls the force receives and the role he plays in protecting people from harm and ensuring they have the help they need.

In this episode we are joined by Detective Inspector Lindsay Harbour who talks to us about the process involved in investigating the sudden death of a person. From the methodical search at the scene to those tell-tale signs that tell you something isn’t as it seems, Lindsay explains what officers are looking for and the role they play in determining the circumstances of a person’s death.

In this episode we are joined by DC Charlie Mitton, from the force’s Child Abuse Investigation and Safeguarding Unit, who talks about the investigation into a highly manipulative and dangerous paedophile who preyed on young girls through social media. Warning – This episode contains discussions some listeners may find upsetting or difficult to listen to.

In this episode we are joined by Inspector Karl Secker who talks about the force’s work to support those in a mental health crisis through the use of a mental health car. Historically police were heavily reliant on the use of emergency powers through section 136 of the Mental Health Act to provide support to those in a mental health crisis. Now thanks to the force’s mental health car those in crisis are getting the expert care they need thanks to joint working with health colleagues. Karl explains more about the initiative.

At birth, Megan Gwynn weighed less than 4lbs, had suffered a burst bowel and only survived thanks to emergency surgery at Addenbrooke’s Hospital. She had also been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, a condition that causes damage to the lungs, digestive system and other organs and shortens life expectancy. Despite this, and her own concerns, Megan recently achieved her ambition of becoming a police officer. We spoke to her about how she has overcome all life’s hurdles, and our own HR expert Phillipa Moodie who explains what is takes to be a police officer.

For more on becoming a police officer, visit our website https://bit.ly/3S7GroH

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Concern for people and missing from home reports represent a significant slice of modern policing. But behind the stats there are stories of real people, some ending in tragedy but others in joyful reunion. In this podcast, Detective Inspector Nick Cook speaks about the highs and lows of investigating missing people, while experienced control room supervisor Malcolm Graham explains how concern for person calls so often fall to police, even when they shouldn’t.  For more information about reporting incidents to us, visit www.cambs.police.uk and click on “Report”.

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