OPERATION BRIDGE - Cumbria Constabulary

SECTION 5
GPMS RESTRICTED
THE COMMUNITY SERVED BY CUMBRIA CONSTABULARY
5. Every community is unique and has individual nuances that make it
special to those who live and work there. This is particularly true for
Cumbria.
5.1 I have included the following information in order to demonstrate the
extent of community cohesion that I have seen during the review
process. This is particularly relevant when taking account of the
impact that this incident had on the community and the overwhelming
support that was shown towards Cumbria Constabulary, both during
and after the incident 5 .
5.2 Cumbria is the second largest county in England and covers 2268
square miles.
5.3 The resident population is less than 500,000 but tourism, attracted
predominantly by the natural beauty of the Lake District, results in
over 15 million visitors staying as guests within the county each year.
5.4 Approximately 50% of the resident population live within small rural
communities.
5.5 West Cumbria is a distinct area within the county. It has a natural
perimeter of the coast to one side and the Cumbrian Mountains to the
other. The result is that West Cumbria is a close knit community
where the level of community cohesion is almost tangible.
5.6 My team and I have extensive experience across a number of
different police areas but have never experienced such community
bonds as is evident here.
5.7 It is difficult to describe how close the community ties are, but this is
self evident when you appreciate the fact that many witnesses were
related to, worked with or had knowledge of several victims (and the
suspect) despite the incident occurring across an area of many
square miles.
5.8 The result of this cohesion is that the whole community felt the full
impact of these events.
5 The Chief Constable of Cumbria Constabulary reports an overwhelming support from
community groups and partners in the way they responded on 2 nd June 2010.
THIS REPORT IS EMBARGOED
UNTIL 4PM MONDAY 28 TH MARCH 2011
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