What can the Community Payback Scheme do for your Cambridgeshire street?

Police and Crime Commissioner, Darryl Preston, is encouraging members of the public to nominate potential projects for the community payback scheme.

The Government’s scheme allows members of the public to suggest what unpaid work is carried out by offenders in their area.

“Community payback is a punishment that is visible to the public,” Darryl Preston said. “It is designed to rehabilitate people on probation while giving back to the local area harmed by their crime.”

Payback teams around the country have been making a difference in their communities from clearing graffiti to re-decorating community centres.

Darryl has visited The Green Backyard in Peterborough, a community garden which has been cleared and maintained during the pandemic by Community Payback Teams.

He said: “In my Police and Crime Plan I pledged to work with partners to tackle re-offending and the community payback scheme does that. I am keen the unpaid work carried out by offenders benefits our community. Nobody knows the needs of the area more than local people and I am therefore appealing to you to propose local projects.”

Courts will order an individual to carry out community payback in cases where the offender can be better rehabilitated in the community. This can include first time offenders or where health issues have been an influencing factor.

The work must benefit the local community, not take paid work away from others and not make a profit. Nominations can be made on the Government website.