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Police in Ipswich are continuing to proactively target serious crime and violence in the town and will be assisted by colleagues from across the county for a period of intensified enforcement and visibility.
The activity, over the coming weeks, will see an increased focus on County Lines and related youth gang violence crime in Ipswich.
This intensification will supplement the regular proactive work that takes place on a daily basis and forms part of a continued investment into Suffolk’s biggest urban area to target perpetrators of the most serious offences.
Police will be conducting warrants on properties in the town, as well as interventions and safeguarding activity in terms of ‘cuckoo’ visits (where vulnerable people are exploited by drug dealers using their property) and also conducting Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) checks on individuals known to police.
Already, since last Friday (27 September), up to and including Tuesday (1 October), officers have made 17 arrests in connection with suspected drug related criminality, conducted six warrants and made eight visits to properties subject to suspected ‘cuckooing’ and conducted one CBO check.
Work to tackle drug-dealing, associated criminality and vulnerability takes place all year round in the town, but this intensification comes as a result of a desire to ensure the public feel reassured by the continued proactive mindset and ethos of local police to root out and disrupt drug related crime.
Daily briefings will be held to assess the intelligence received and ensure resources are deployed effectively, based on the threat, harm and risk posed and help shape how police are pursuing perpetrators, supporting victims and continuing to ensure the safety of communities.
Superintendent Andy Martin, South Area Commander, said: “This activity demonstrates our ongoing and relentless pursuit of offenders and to make Ipswich a hostile place for criminals who choose to involve themselves in the preparation and selling of illicit substances, use of violence, and exploitation of those most vulnerable within in our community.
“We have come a long way over the past two years in tackling these issues and have achieved some excellent results. We want to send a clear message that we are not going to take our foot off the pedal and this surge in resources from across the county is one way of helping us to deliver that.
“We know that the vast majority of such criminality takes place between those individuals who are known to one another, but that doesn’t stop law-abiding people feeling concerned or alarmed by what they hear or see. With that in mind it’s incumbent upon us as a force to continue to proactively pursue and disrupt those who choose to blight our community.
“Integral to this will be our on-going dialogue and engagement with partner agencies. So, our officers will be liaising with the council, support agencies and charities to ensure they are providing the right and appropriate support to those vulnerable people who need it. This may also involve joint patrols with the relevant agencies - be it intelligence gathering activity, enforcement activity or safeguarding activity.
Supt Martin added: “It’s important we also acknowledge the on-going support of the public who assist us in our work through providing intelligence, and witness information – this is the lifeblood of operational policing and for which we are very grateful for. Please keep reporting suspicious activity you hear or see to our online reporting tool on our website or via Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
“Tackling crime is a collective effort if we are to prevent criminals causing harm to our communities. It’s easy to forget that the vast majority of our officers and staff are residents in the county so we all have a vested interest in tackling it.”
Tim Passmore, Suffolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner, said: “I fully support this dynamic, targeted approach being deployed in our county town.
“I hope this pro-active activity sends out a clear message that criminals are not welcome in Suffolk.
“As I’ve said many times before, the Constabulary cannot deal with these issues alone – so I am very pleased to see this multi-agency approach.”
He added: “The Chief Constable and I are hosting a public meeting in Ipswich later this month (October 15). I will look forward to hearing feedback directly from the local community.”