Joining forces to make Cambridgeshire safer.
THE Cambridgeshire Criminal Justice Board brings together all of the county's criminal justice agencies to reduce crime and improve justice locally.
Whether you're a victim of crime, a witness, a juror or have been accused or convicted of a crime, this site's for you. If you have an interest in criminal justice, you should find plenty to keep you informed and entertained. Take a look around - there's plenty to explore!
Did you know...
... the chances of being a victim of crime are at their lowest in over 25 years?
Thanks for Picking a Site
THANK YOU for having your say in our "PIck a Site, We'll Put it Right" scheme.
For the first time ever the Cambridgeshire Criminal Justice Board called on residents to suggest local sites that could benefit from basic maintenance or repair by young people referred to the Cambridgeshire Youth Offending Service (YOS).
The scheme allows people to nominate worthwhile projects that allow young people who’ve broken the law to make good the harm they’ve caused to their community.
The Youth Offending Service is now looking at the sites you've mentioned to see which would be suitable for youth reparation.
Watch this space!
Click here to find out more.
The Kids Are Alright crowned Campaign of the Year!
OUR YOUTH stereotype-busting Kids Are Alright campaign has been crowned Community Campaign of the Year, beating heavy-weight dailies from across the region.
Judges at the EDF Energy East of England Media Awards on 21 January praised the Cambs Times and Wisbech Standard’s campaign for its originality and broad community engagement.
The Kids Are Alright also involves the Cambridgeshire Criminal Justice Board, Fenland District Council, Fenland Youth District Council, Connexions, the Fire Service and Cambridgeshire County Council.
The campaign last year scooped the Youth Justice Board’s Best Communication in Youth Justice Award and received several Cambridgeshire Justice Awards.
Launched last February, The Kids Are Alright challenges youth stereotypes by highlighting positive contributions young people make to their communities. It uses weekly newspaper coverage, posters and events to get its message across.
Plymouth City Council and partners are launching their own Kids Are Alright campaign in March and other areas have expressed interest in running similar schemes.
Click here to read more about our latest prize - or here to nominate a young person for a Kids Are Alright Award.
Help for victims of sexual abuse
A CENTRE with support and medical facilities for victims of rape and sexual assault was officially opened on 11 January by East of England Minister Barbara Follett.
The Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) is the first of its kind in East Anglia. It serves as a one stop shop for victims of sexual abuse and was set up by Cambridgeshire Constabulary in partnership with the NHS and Rape Crisis.
The centre, based at The Oasis, in Rivergate, Peterborough, is available 24/7 to victims by calling 0845 089 6262.
Cambridgeshire's top cop in New Year's Honours List
CONGRATULATIONS to Cambridgeshire Chief Constable Julie Spence - who's been recognised in the 2010 New Year's Honours List.
Mrs Spence has received a Queen's Police Medal, recognising her vast contributions to modernising and improving policing.
Last year Mrs Spence was named Public Services woman of the year at the First Women Awards.
Mrs Spence, who was previously made a member of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), heads the British Association for Women in Policing and is regarded as one of the most influential women in the UK police.
Our congratulations also go to Ivy Sturgeon, a personal secretary at HMP Littlehey in Perry, who was made a Member of the British Empire (MBE) for her contributions to the Prison Service.
Read all about it!
THE AUTUMN edition of Just News is out now!
Our cover story is about Dance Offensive, surprise performers at the Justice Awards in Westminster. The Cambridge group and its artistic director were nominated for awards recognising their role in tackling youth crime.
Find out how criminals' cash is boosting four great projects across Cambridgeshire, thanks to a new scheme called Community Cashback.
Read all about our unsung heroes - those who've gone above and beyond the call of duty to deliver justice locally.
On the subject of unsung heroes, we feature one of the toughest jobs in the justice system - that of the family liaison officer.
Cambridgeshire Criminal Justice Board chair Tom Jefford goes on patrol with police community support officer Lee Hurley in Cambridge city centre to find out what it's like being a bobby on the beat.
Click here to download your electronic edition of Just News.
Unsung heroes awarded
CAMBRIDGESHIRE’S unsung heroes were honoured during a special ceremony recognising those going the extra mile to deliver justice locally.
For the first time, the Cambridgeshire Justice Awards took place during the Chief Constable’s Award Ceremony.
Thirty-two individuals and teams from across the county were recognised for their outstanding contributions during the prestigious ceremony at Hinchingbrooke School of Performing Arts in Huntingdon on November 16.
In total 34 awards were given out across 12 categories.
Click here to find out more out about our local superheroes.
Cambridge dancers dazzle ministers!
Gravity-defying Dance Offensive wowed government ministers with a surprise performance at the prestigious Justice Awards.
The Cambridge dance group’s high-energy show at Westminster’s Banqueting House on October 20 was kept top secret until the last minute.
Guests at the Justice Awards included Attorney General Baroness Scotland, Home Secretary Alan Johnson and David Hanson, Minister for Policing and Security.
Dance Offensive were the surprise star act at the awards, hosted by Crimewatch UK presenter Matthew Amroliwala.
Eight young Cambridge performers, ranging in age from 13 to 21, gave a stunning performance, combining breakdancing with hip hop moves.
Afterwards artistic director Paul Sadot was invited on stage to talk about the work Dance Offensive does in engaging young people and preventing youth crime.
The company, whose members include referrals from the Cambridgeshire Youth Offending Service, engages with hundreds of young people each year and delivers 15 hours of free classes each week.
Dance Offensive will perform at the Mumford Theatre in Cambridge on December 7.
The Pressure Drop 2 show will feature some of the country’s top dance professionals, including extreme martial arts champion Chloe Bruce.
For more details see Dance Offensive's website.
For more photos from the Justice Awards click here.
Crooks' cash benefits Cambridgeshire projects!
Four publicly nominated Cambridgeshire projects will benefit from a cash boost, thanks to an initiative that sees criminals’ ill-gotten gains reinvested into the community.
Cambridgeshire Criminal Justice Board chair Tom Jefford announced that three youth projects and a scheme helping elderly residents to protect their homes against burglars will receive Community Cashback grants totalling £95,000.
Over the summer people were invited to have their say on 16 shortlisted Community Cashback projects in Cambridgeshire. That feedback was taken into account when selecting grant recipients.
As a result the Cambridgeshire Criminal Justice Board will award Community Cashback grants to a Waterbeach youth club (£50,000), Soham Youth Café (£20,000), Stilton Sk8z (£15,000) and the Bobby Scheme (£10,000).
Click here to find out more.
Know us before you judge us, young people say
They clash about what you wear and how you look, which isn't very nice because I'm a nice person and I wouldn't steal.
Because of what you read and hear on the TV you expect them to act in a certain way, especially if they're in groups, and I've always been proved wrong.
Know us before you judge us, Fenland's youth say in a special film aimed at measuring perceptions to young people.
The Kids Are Alright film was made by the Fenland Youth District Council to promote a youth stereotype-busting campaign by the same name.
The short film was shot in March and Wisbech in June. Residents of all ages were asked about their perceptions of young people.
The film revealed that in general Fenland residents have varying views of young people.
To see the film and find out more click here.
Have your say on policing priorities!
Every year, Cambridgeshire Police Authority publishes its annual Policing Plan. This three-year rolling plan sets out what is expected of Cambridgeshire Constabulary in terms of tackling national and local priorities.
For the first time the authority hopes to include a ‘People’s Priority’ in the Policing Plan next year. This will be decided from feedback its members receive from people like you.
What would you like the priority to be? Your views could help shape policing in the county.
You can read the Policing Plan by clicking here.
To give your feedback or register your views for the ‘People’s Priority’ please click here.
Have your say on legal services
Have you accessed legal services locally? If so, the Legal Services Commission want to hear from you.
The LSC have developed an online tool for people to share their experiences of the justice system – both good and bad – so that they can improve the quality of services they offer to the public.
The simple questionnaire is being piloted for three months in Cambridgeshire until December. If it’s successful it will be rolled out across England and Wales.
The LSC is hoping to get as many views as possible from clients in Cambridgeshire. All information will be treated confidentially.
Click here to have your say on legal services.
Make your views known! Vote in our online polls!
Supporting victims is your number one priority, according to our recent popular poll.
We asked how you would invest your money if you could choose to fund one area of criminal justice.
29% of you said you would use your cash to support victims, while 23% said you would want it to go towards punishing offenders.
19% would fund crime prevention, 16% preferred rehabilitating prisoners and 13% said they would want their money to go towards community policing.
In our latest poll, we're asking if assisted suicide should be legalised, following a number of high profile cases in England and Wales.
What do you think? Make your views known in our online polls.
When Aivaras Krochalev arrived as a migrant worker in 2003, he only intended to stay for six months.
It would be just enough time for him to earn enough money to buy him and his sweetheart Kristina a home back in Lithuania. And he was determined not to leave Kristina, who he'd wed on Valentine's Day that year, for any longer.
But after three months he realised his future lay in England - and today he performs a vital role in the Wisbech community as a PCSO.
Click here to find out more - and here for more Justice Careers.
Judge for yourself
Most of us have views about how criminals should be sentenced - but how easy is it to know which sentence to pass?
Meet fictional characters Mike and Barbara who, when approached by police for confronting a doorman at a Peterborough pub, are found carrying knives. How would you sentence them?
What are your views on Nigel Nicholson, caught driving in Wisbech Town Centre while disqualified for drink driving? How should John Smith be treated when pleading guilty to possessing class C drugs near Cambridge Railway Station with intent to supply?
Take a look at the facts - and have a go at advising a court!
On other parts of this website you can put your knowledge to the test with an interactive Criminal Justice quiz or vote in regular polls.
Want to make a real difference to your community? Check out our Justice Careers section - showing what it's really like to work on the frontline of Cambridgeshire's criminal justice system.
