The effectiveness of the police presence in St Neots, Huntingdonshire, is a nuanced issue that requires examining several factors. Overall, St Neots appears to be relatively safe compared to the national average, but there's room for improvement in certain areas.
St Neots, a Built-Up Area (BUA) with a population of 35,008, currently has a crime rate of 74.3 incidents per 1,000 residents. This is notably lower than the UK average of 91.6 per 1,000. The area also boasts a safety score of 83 out of 100, exceeding the UK average of 79. This suggests a perception of safety amongst residents that is above the national benchmark.
However, a critical element in assessing police effectiveness is response time. Data from 2024 indicates that the mean immediate police response time in St Neots is 19 minutes. This is the time taken to respond to emergencies requiring urgent attention. Furthermore, the mean priority response time, for less urgent matters, is 116 minutes. While 'priority' incidents are by definition not immediate emergencies, a 116-minute response time may still be a cause for concern and highlights a potential area for improvement.
It's important to consider that response times can be affected by various factors, including resource availability, call volume, and geographic challenges. The high safety score, despite the longer priority response time, implies that the lower crime rate and proactive community engagement may be mitigating the impact of these delays. Nevertheless, efforts to reduce priority response times would likely further enhance the feeling of safety and security within the community. Further investigation into the reasons for these response times would be beneficial to understand the challenges faced by the local police force.