Cambridgeshire Constabulary is encouraging residents to sign up to eCops, a free community messaging platform the force says helps officers share information, issue appeals and support operational policing across the county.
How the system works
Unlike social media or public meetings, eCops records a registrant’s address so messages can be sent to people living in a specific street or area. Police neighbourhood teams, the road policing unit and the Rural Crime Action Team (RCAT) are among the units using the system.
"If someone in High Street, St Ives is burgled and we want to appeal for witnesses or ask people to check CCTV or ring doorbell footage, we can target those messages to that specific area," said Shelley Spratt, deputy head of corporate communications.
Uses and local impact
The force says eCops is used for a range of practical policing tasks, including:
- targeted appeals for witnesses after local incidents;
- requests for residents to check CCTV or doorbell footage;
- disseminating timely crime‑prevention advice to affected streets;
- alerting communities during missing person enquiries;
- gathering feedback via surveys to help shape neighbourhood policing priorities.
Police communications staff believe the system becomes more powerful as registration grows, enabling faster, more precise alerts and allowing officers to better understand local concerns through responses and survey data.
Which teams use eCops
| Unit | Primary use |
|---|---|
| Neighbourhood policing teams | Local appeals and community updates |
| Road policing unit | Alerts about serious collisions or road safety |
| Rural Crime Action Team (RCAT) | Targeted messages for rural areas and farm communities |
Officers say the address‑based approach lets them send messages narrowly to those most likely to help or be affected, rather than broadcasting to a much wider audience. That can be particularly valuable in rapidly developing enquiries, such as burglaries or when a person goes missing.
What residents should know
When people sign up to eCops their address is logged in the system so they receive information relevant to their immediate locality. Sign‑up is free and open to members of the public; once registered, residents can also take part in surveys and share concerns that may influence local policing priorities.
While eCops complements other ways the force communicates, officers say its precision and two‑way features make it a useful tool for both preventing crime and supporting investigations.
Cambridgeshire Constabulary is urging more local residents to register to improve the reach and effectiveness of the service.
