The 2024/25 Annual Report of the Suffolk Police and Crime Panel has now been published, and is available on the County Council’s website at the following link: Suffolk-PCP-Annual-Report-2024-2025.  The report gives an overview of the work of the Panel over the previous year.

Providing better service, better value   - these are two main benefits from Suffolk Police’s Digi Desk, which provides a faster and more convenient service for those people not requiring an emergency response but who want to get in touch at a time that suits them.

The new focus on social media and website is becoming even more efficient as the small team faces an ever-growing demand. It all goes to show big is not always best. The past 12 months have seen a 133% increase in live chat demand and has cut average waiting times from 26 seconds to 9 seconds. 

Unsurprisingly, this is meeting with public approval, with 91% of users being positive about the service and 83% labelling it “very good”. 

The Digi Desk – Digital Public Contact and Engagement Desk - was unveiled in March 2024 with the financial support of the Police and Crime Commissioner and is staffed every day between 7am and 10pm to help members of the public who find it easier to get in touch outside more traditional working hours. 

The team triages a number of different forms from the Force’s website, manages emails from partner agencies and monitors comments and direct messages on the Constabulary’s Facebook and X pages. It also responds in real time to Live Chat enquiries every day between 8am and 9:30pm. 

Although social media and Live Chat are not a reporting tool, the new digital desk offers an improved service to members of the public who wish to engage with Suffolk Police through digital means for general enquiries, advice or support for any non-urgent concerns or policing matters. 

The number of 999 calls received by the CCR has increased by almost 30% over the past three years, from an average of 8,645 per month in 2019 to an average of 11,141 per month in 2023. 

Assistant Chief Constable Eamonn Bridger said:   “Technology enables us to improve the way we communicate with the public but it relies on the skills of our small team to make it work so successfully. Thanks to them Suffolk Constabulary is now more flexible, responsible and efficient – vital when the demand for our services and assistance has been growing across the county. Key performance indicators back this up – lower wait times and abandonment rates and high satisfaction scores is evidence of the Digi Desk’s efficiency and effectiveness.”

The Digi Desk and Control Room improvements were made possible by a £1.2 million investment from Suffolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner’s council tax precept in 2023. 

Police and Crime Commissioner Tim Passmore said:  “How we engage with each other has transformed dramatically over the past decade, with many of us using digital media rather than talking over the phone. The Digi Desk is now firmly established and is allowing the public to engage with the Constabulary for non-emergency enquiries in the format that suits them best. The very positive feedback from those using the digi-desk clearly demonstrate that the precept investment from our increased council tax really does make a difference to the police service we receive."

To report something, visit www.suffolk.police.uk/tell-us

For advice regarding crime prevention, anti-social behaviour, animal protection and many other matters, visit: www.suffolk.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/
Crime prevention advice can be found here

Constable's County Newsletter latest edition is below:

The April 2025 edition of the newsletter is now available to read

Suffolk Constabulary launches new video to warn of the dangers courier fraud

Do you know about courier fraud? Millions of pounds are lost each year to these scams. Suffolk Constabulary has created an animated video to try and make people aware of the dangers of courier fraud, the signs to look out for and how you can protect yourself, your family and your friends.

Between April 2024 and March 2025 there were 43 reports of courier fraud offences in Suffolk. In total victims lost £364,763, with an average loss of £8,482.

Courier fraud occurs when people are contacted by people pretending to be police officers or bank officials and duped into handing over money, valuables or bank cards, which are collected from their home address, often by couriers. The criminals use a variety of different tactics, often claiming that there is a problem with your account and they need your help to catch the real criminals. 

The victim may also be encouraged into handing over their bank cards, bank details and PINs, as well as handing over or buying high value items such as jewellery, watches and gold.

Older people are sadly the most likely to be targeted by criminals carrying out courier fraud.

Examples of courier fraud include:

A scammer calling you, claiming to be from your bank or a police officer. They tell you either that:

  • a fraudulent payment has been spotted on your card that needs sorting out
  • someone has been arrested using your details and cards

You may be asked to call your bank using the phone number on the back of your card. This convinces you that the call is genuine. But the scammer has kept the line open at their end, so when you make the call, you're unknowingly connected straight back to them or their friends.

They’ll either ask you for your PIN or ask you to key it into your phone. No bank or other legitimate service will ever ask you for your PIN.

The scammer then sends a courier or taxi to pick up the card from your home. Even the driver may not know they’re being used as part of the scam.

Once the scammer has both your card and PIN they can spend your money.

A different version of this scam is where you’re contacted and told there’s a corrupt member of staff at your bank, post office or bureau de change and the police need your help to identify them.

They ask you to withdraw a large sum of your money, which the police or bank will mark, then put back into the banking system. They say this will help them identify the corrupt person. Once you hand the cash over, the scammers simply take it.

Victims are sometimes asked to meet the ‘couriers’ in public places such as supermarkets or retail parks.

Another example is when a fake police officer phones or approaches you and asks you to buy an expensive watch or other high-value item, to try to find out if counterfeit goods are being sold.

Once you’ve bought the item, the scammer tells you to hand it to a taxi driver for transfer to the police. The expensive item is, of course, taken instead to the scammer’s partner.

The latest variation is where the scammer contacts you and says your bank account has been taken over and you need to transfer all the funds into a ‘safe account’. Of course, the new account is operated by the scammers, who then steal the funds.

Victims are not just elderly or vulnerable people. Those responsible are professionals, they know what to say and are very convincing.

Police officers will never:

  •  Ask for bank details or PINs
  • Request cash or bank card handovers to couriers
  • Demand money transfers to other accounts
  • Ask for payment of fines or fees over the phone
  • Request access to your computer or passwords
  • Ask you to 'assist' in an investigation by doing any of the above

Police are urging residents to share this warning with elderly and vulnerable family members, friends and neighbours – but stress that anyone can fall victim to these sophisticated scams.

If you know of anyone that you feel might be susceptible to this, please help ensure they are aware of the dangers and consider measures such as call blockers.

If you have any concerns or feel you or someone you know may have been targeted, please report it.

Reports can be made to both the police and to Action Fraud, while further advice on this and other scams is available on the Action Fraud website.

Please find the below links to Vimeo and YouTube to view/download the video.

https://youtu.be/IVhkKWbHcC8

https://vimeo.com/1099637690?share=copy

Suffolk figures show county is one of the safest places to live

Suffolk is in the top four 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).

Knife crime saw a year on year drop of nearly 30%, whilst drug offences, robbery, vehicle offences, residential burglary, sexual offences stalking and harassment, theft from person, criminal damage, possession of weapons and public order were among the crime types that saw drops in recorded crimes, compared to the previous 12-month period.

The total recorded crime covering the 12-months to the end of March 2024 show that there were 59.7 crimes per 1000 people*, a decrease of 12% compared to the previous 12 months.

Based on the ONS figures, Suffolk Constabulary is ranked fourth for the lowest levels of recorded crime in the country.

Deputy Chief Constable Rob Jones said: “It is really important to remember first and foremost we are an organisation that puts the victim first, so I offer you my sympathies if you have been the victim of a crime. We remain focused on providing you with a high standard of support bearing in mind the personal upset, anguish and physical and emotional trauma you will have no doubt experienced.

“I hope you can feel assured our force delivery plan is to provide high quality investigations to prosecute and secure convictions for offenders, whilst maximising opportunities to reduce re-offending.

“As I have said previously, there is so much more to policing Suffolk than just a set of figures and these statistics won’t mean much if you have been the victim of a crime.

“It’s also, crucially, about how we act, what we say, what we do and how we respond to people in need, be they victims or witnesses and, of course, how suspects are treated.

“However, I hope people can feel encouraged that these results demonstrate just how hard we are all working to keep people of Suffolk safe and to solve crime and catch criminals.”

The force did see rises in non-residential burglary crime (up 14.5%) and shoplifting (5.8 %).

DCC Jones added: “The drop in knife crime is very encouraging but there is always more we can do. Our proactive approach with dedicated teams that target knife crime and its root causes are reaping reward. This includes intelligence-led deployments, weapons sweeps and high-visibility patrols to target and disrupt offenders. We also work closely with schools and colleges to educate on the dangers of carrying a knife.

“Shoplifting and business burglary still provide us with challenges to address and these figures and trends remain under close scrutiny for us.

“I would reassure retailers who are the victims that we do take action where we have the evidence and in some cases perpetrators can be facing a jail sentence. This was the case recently with two offenders in Bury St Edmunds who in total received 38 weeks in prison for their crimes that included theft.

“Our officers also can use a number of powers to tackle shoplifting such as the Anti-Social Behaviour Act to tackle persistent offenders, use of Community Protection Notices and Criminal Behaviour Orders. Our Design Out Crime Officers can also provide crime prevention advice to many of the shops and business networks regarding what they can do to reduce theft.

“It’s vital that we work with businesses and that they continue to report these crimes so we can investigate and look to prosecute when possible. I’d also remind businesses to check their CCTV is in good order as it is invaluable in providing evidence.

“We can’t do this by ourselves and the support and assistance we receive from the public is absolutely key. We are committed to preventing crime in partnership with our local authorities, businesses and the voluntary sector to solve problems together.

“We never forget how precious the trust and confidence that the public put in us is and we continue to work tirelessly to the benefit of our communities. The response we receive each time we appeal for help to prevent crime or catch criminals is really important to us.”

Police and Crime Commissioner for Suffolk Tim Passmore said: “This is another very good set of results which I am sure all Suffolk residents and businesses will really welcome.

“We have a small force, one of the lowest funded in the country and it covers one of the largest geographical areas. I truly believe the Suffolk Constabulary punches above its weight and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank officers and staff for their commitment.

“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.”

The figures do exclude fraud

*Knife crime data is published as crime per 100,000 population.

Suffolk’s national ranking for lowest levels of recorded crime:

Dec 2019 – Dec 2020 – ranked 13th

June 2022 – June 2023 – 6th

Sept 2022 – Sept 2023 – 5th

Dec 2022 – Dec 2023 – 4th

March 2023 – March 2024 – 4th

 

% change (March 23 – March 24):

Stalking and harassment: -29%

Knife crime: -28.8%

Public order: -24.5%

Theft from person: -18.7%

Drug offending: -17.1%

Vehicle offences: 16.5%

Robbery: -16.6%

Violence against the person: -14.5%

Residential burglary: -10.6%

Possession of weapons: -2.6%

Non-residential burglary: +14.5%

Shoplifting: +5.8%

You can sign up to get free alerts and other information direct from the Police. It’s a free e-mailing service, providing relevant information to subscribers according to the type of subjects they have indicated they’re interested in via the following link:  Suffolk Police Connect.   

Non-Emergency Reporting - Report an incident or crime to Police including Anti-Social Behaviour - 1. Report something | Suffolk Constabulary

Contacting the Police – multiple online options of how to contact police for different advice or incidents - Contact us | Suffolk Constabulary

Police Connect – Police Connect is a messaging service connecting you to the very latest policing news for your area via e-mail. This is a Free Service (I usually advertise my Events and Street Meets on here.) - 11. Police Connect Sign Up | Suffolk Constabulary

Community Speedwatch - The Community Speed watch programme empowers communities to play an active role alongside the Safety Camera Partnership in tackling the problems of speeding in their neighbourhood.- Community Speed Watch | Suffolk Constabulary

Police UK – The National Website for Policing in England , Wales and Northern Ireland where you can search for your local area policing statistics and crime maps - Home | Police.uk (www.police.uk)

1st Principle – A-Z of crime prevention , printable leaflets that can also be viewed online. - Crime Prevention Advice - First Principle | Suffolk Constabulary

Your area – Where you can access details of the Safer Neighbourhood Team Officers and information for your local area. - Your area | Suffolk Constabulary

Last but not least if you are on Twitter or Facebook you will find your local policing posts under – HalesworthPolice