Chief Constable's monthly column

Firstly, I would like to take the opportunity to thank all of you who have attended one of the public meetings myself and the Police & Crime Commissioner Tim Passmore have been hosting and also those of you who took part in the online webchat earlier this month.  We had many questions from members of the public covering a large range of topics.  It is so important to us to understand what is important to you and understand your issues, so thank you.

I was delighted to read the recent Office of National Statistics report that highlighted the progress we continue to make in supporting our victims and making our communities safer.  Reported crime per thousand residents has fallen, and Suffolk now has the third lowest recorded crime levels across the country. We are the second lowest county for reports of stalking and harassment offences, and fourth lowest for robbery, residential burglary, and theft offences. This is particularly pleasing as these crime types are extremely emotive and can cause a high level of harm to our communities. 

Knife crime has fallen by a substantial 37.5% over the last year. This decrease shows the strength in our ability to work quickly with our partners, and deploying a proactive and reactive response to reduce the threat and risk to the public.   

A key initiative that has contributed to this reduction saw a targeted operation in Ipswich with a focus on serious and violent crime linked to drugs and gangs. Operation Golda demonstrated our ability as a constabulary to flex our policing model, drawing on specialist and front-line resource to lead on engagement and enforcement initiatives.  To date, 47 arrests have been made, 20 search warrants executed and 50 visits made to vulnerable members of our community who have had their homes taken over by drug dealers.  Sustained police action has been supported by over 50 engagement events where we have involved partners and other stakeholders to promote our commitment to protecting our communities.

It was a pleasure to open the inaugural Suffolk Retail Crime Forum at Ipswich Town Football Club recently, where retailers, business improvement districts and police came together following the launch of the national Retail Crime Action Plan. The breadth of attendance made for some exciting conversations and problem solving to look at how we can work together to reduce retail crime, particularly through information sharing and targeting repeat offenders. I look forward to the force and partners progressing over the coming year.

Those of you who tuned in to BBC’s Crimewatch in October will have seen our very own Detective Chief Inspector Matt Connick discussing the investigation into the murder of Anita Rose in Brantham, with the show’s presenters, Rav Wilding and Michelle Ackerley. The level of professionalism he and his team displayed throughout the programme is commendable and since it’s airing, someone has been charged with the murder of Anita Rose.

With the festive season fast approaching, the holidays are a busy period for us and the number of football matches and other events which we have a presence at are great engagement opportunities whilst we work to keep people safe.   We aim to have an increased presence in high footfall areas over the festive period and welcome members of the public to engage with us while on patrol, provide thoughts and feedback as well as passing on any concerns.

On Sunday 10 November myself and fellow Chief Officers attended a number of Remembrance Day services across the county and laid wreaths - it was wonderful to see so many people commemorating this special day to honour armed forces members who have died in the line of duty.  We also had a Remembrance Service at Police Headquarters where myself, Tim Passmore, and representatives from the Police Federation and Unison laid wreaths.

I was delighted to present the CEO of Cancer Support, Suffolk and the constabulary’s chosen charity for 2024, Mark Murphy, with a cheque recently - these monies were raised at our recent annual Police Family day.

Finally, I’d like to take this opportunity to extend an invitation to you all to come along to the joint Emergency Services Carol Service which takes place on Monday 9th December at the Cathedral in Bury St Edmunds.  The service starts at 7pm and everyone is welcome.