Suffolk figures show county is one of the safest places to live
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Suffolk is in the top five counties in England and Wales where people are least likely to be victims of crime, according to figures released by the Office of National Statistics (ONS).
The total recorded crime covering the 12 months to the end of September 2023 show that there were 62.4 crimes per 1000 people*, a decrease of 9.2% compared to the previous 12 months.
From Oct 2022 to Sept 2023 domestic burglary, robbery, theft, stalking and harassment, vehicle crime, knife crime and drug offending all saw drops in recorded crimes, compared to the previous 12-month period.
Based on the ONS figures, Suffolk Constabulary is ranked fifth for the lowest levels of recorded crime in the country. The latest figures show continued improvement. Three years ago, Suffolk was in 13th position in terms of its crime levels.
Deputy Chief Constable Rob Jones said: “It is important to make clear that for the victim of every crime committed they will be experiencing personal distress, upset and trauma. If you have been the victim of crime my sympathies are with you and we remain determined to give a high level of service to victims.
“That said, these figures do show a positive direction of travel for the force. The figures demonstrate an affirmation of how safe we are as a county and are a mark of how we continue to improve, to work hard to keep the people of Suffolk safe and to solve crime and catch criminals.
“I am not a great fan of rankings and performance tables, but to add some context, in the period covering December 2019 to December 2020 the force was ranked 13th in the country – we are now fifth. That clearly shows the progress we have made in recent years – both the work of our officers and staff, but also the support and assistance we receive from the public which is absolutely vital.
“I completely accept these figures will mean little to those who have been the victim of crime and we need to remember that crime statistics don’t give the full picture of a local policing service.
“However, our new operating model launched in early December is based on the principal of officers being where people need them to be, when they are needed the most.
“The increased visibility of our Community Policing Teams is being welcomed across the county and our community officers, PCSOs, Specials and volunteers are really embracing the ethos of being engaged, visible and proactive. They are working hard with partners tackling the issues the community have raised and are really keen to secure positive outcomes.”
Possession of weapons offences, public order, shoplifting and business burglary all did see rises on the ONS figures.
DCC Jones added: “Our analysis does show the majority of knife related, weapon and violent crime is being committed by those known to one another and often those previously known to the police, maybe through drug activity.
“Meanwhile, the shoplifting figure is not something I am surprised at with the cost of living still a big issue and concern for many people.
“However, it is a crime whatever the value of the item stolen and can result in a criminal conviction, which can have a serious impact on someone’s life. We understand this this behaviour is simply unacceptable as it ultimately can threaten the future of the business affected.
“Our officers use powers under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act to tackle persistent offenders using Community Protection Notices and Criminal Behaviour Orders. In addition, our Design Out Crime Officer provide crime prevention advice to many of the shops and business networks in our town centres regarding what they can do to reduce theft.
“It is vital we do not take the public trust and confidence lightly and we continue to work diligently to the benefit of our communities.”
Suffolk Police and Crime Commissioner Tim Passmore said: “This is a very good set of results for the Constabulary, which I am sure all Suffolk residents and businesses will really welcome.
“Suffolk is a safe county but there is of course absolutely no room for complacency so the Constabulary must continue to provide a high level of support to all victims.
“The pattern of crime changes relentlessly and we know low crime helps improve prosperity which benefits everyone, that’s why the focus will remain on tackling crime and bringing offenders to justice since there is no such thing as a victimless crime.”
The figures do exclude fraud
*Knife crime data is published as crime per 100,000 population.
Recent examples relating to retail crime:
Bury St Edmunds – Man jailed for burglary at retail premises | Suffolk Constabulary
Ipswich attempt robbery charge | Suffolk Constabulary
Suffolk’s national ranking for lowest levels of recorded crime:
Dec 2019 – Dec 2020 – ranked 13th
Sep 2021 – Sept 2022 – ranked 7th
Dec 2021 – Dec 2022 - 6th
March 2022 – March 2023 – 7th
June 2022 – June 2023 – 6th
Sept 2022 – Sept 2023 – 5th
% change (Oct 22 - Sept 23):
Domestic burglary: -16.3%
Robbery: -19.1%
Theft: -19.8%
Violence against the person: -11.1%
Stalking and harassment: -25.3%
Vehicle offences: -3.9%
Drug offending: -13.7%
Knife crime: -10%
Possession of weapons: +1%
Public order: +3.3%
Business burglary: +5.2%
Shoplifting: +20%