More about this area

Suffolk Constabulary 2023–25

The logo of Suffolk Constabulary

The force says...

Suffolk Constabulary polices a population of over 775,000 with 1,352 full-time equivalent police officer posts.

Suffolk covers 1,466 square miles across a county that is largely rural but includes a number of vibrant urban areas. It has a coastline stretching from Lowestoft to Felixstowe (one of the largest container ports in Europe), four military bases and a nuclear power station.

The county’s population has grown by 4.5% since 2011 and is expected to rise to almost 790,000 by 2024. Almost a quarter (24.8%) of the population is aged 65 and over and 75,000 people in Suffolk live in income deprivation. Tourism plays a key role in the local economy contributing £2.1 billion in 2019, with 44,498 associated jobs.

The net revenue budget for policing in 2021/22 is £149.6 million. Since 2010, £36.4 million has been identified in savings, £21.8 million of which achieved through collaboration. Savings of £2 million are planned for 2022/23.

In the 12 months up to the end of March 2023, the constabulary received over 363,000 calls last year; 35% of which were 999 emergencies. Over 52,000 crimes were recorded in the same period.

The Chief Constable has introduced the Strategic Delivery Plan that sets out the areas for the Constabulary to focus on and to achieve and is the “golden thread” that runs through the organisation. The Constabulary continues to priorities the community issues through investment in its safer neighbourhood teams and Contact and Control Room transformation programme and has robust operational responses to county lines, organised crime groups, modern slavery and sexual crimes against adults and children. Overall crime was 1.1% higher against the long-term average, largely due to the impact of lockdown restrictions on the long-term average, some of the largest decreases were recorded in business burglary (reducing by 14%), robbery (reducing by 10%) and vehicle crime (reducing by 8%), whilst violence with injury increased by 13% over the same period.

There continues to be an increase in both the volume and complexity of demand, including safeguarding, youth gang violence and mental health together with rises in violent crime.

Disclaimer: the above statement has been prepared by Suffolk Constabulary. The views and information in it are not necessarily those of HMICFRS.