This year is flying by, I can’t believe we are in May already. We are well into the new financial year which brought a new budget, and also the introduction of my latest Police and Crime Plan for Suffolk.
The original draft of the Police and Crime Plan was modified following consultation with many of you and other agencies across the county. The new plan has three dominant themes which the Constabulary is obliged to deliver; this new plan builds on its three predecessors plans since I was first elected in 2012. These themes are an efficient and effective force, grants and commissioning and sound engagement with yourselves and other agencies - to monitor the plan’s progress and effectiveness, there is a comprehensive performance framework. I’d encourage you to have a look at the fuller detail of the plan – it’s all published on our website.
As your Police and Crime Commissioner I chair bi-monthly Accountability and Performance Panels at Police Headquarters to fulfil one of my main responsibilities – to examine and scrutinise the force’s performance and outcomes for successful implementation and delivery of the Suffolk Police and Crime Plan. The meetings are held in public and are also recorded, with the video available on the website to watch at anytime.
Times are very difficult in many ways for policing (and us all) – increased demand, courts backlog, additional costs imposed from the government, and, from a national perspective, the trust and confidence in policing needs raising. We would all like to see better crime detection and criminal conviction rates. However, I would ask you to consider that our county starts in a very good place since the latest Office for National Statistics data published at the end of last month, shows Suffolk as having the third lowest recorded crime rate per resident in England and Wales. Very welcome news.
The continuing refusal of the Home Office and the government to deliver a fairer funding settlement for policing (and other public services) for Suffolk is unacceptable, yet that is no reason to curtail the ambition of increases in performance and public outcomes. The budget for this current year for all policing and victims’ work is now just over £195 million of taxpayers’ money.
By any measurement this is a large quantity of cash and that’s why your views and suggestions are paramount. As stated earlier I mentioned the three themes of the plan, one of which revolves around public engagement. It is impossible to look after the public interest, and ensure there is proper governance and accountability, without having a comprehensive system for engagement. The traditional methods such as formal letters and emails remain as a fundamental component and we are increasing our social media presence on Instagram, LinkedIn and X.
In addition, one area that is especially informative are the series of public meetings arranged during the summer and autumn. Previously around half a dozen formal sessions have taken place with a good geographic spread and more recently online formats have been used successfully. This year we are increasing the number of online meetings with the first one arranged for May 20 at 6pm where The Chief Constable and I will be happy to answer any questions you have. The details are on PCC website.
One regular (annual) occasion for engagement is certainly one of my highlights of the year, and that is the Suffolk Show. This two-day event is a fantastic showcase for all that is great about our county and there is so much for us all to be proud of. If you are planning to attend the show please do come and visit the police stand. I will be on the stand at intervals throughout the day. The Chief Constable and I will be there together from 10.30 to 11.30 on the first day and I will be joined by the Deputy Chief Constable at the same time on Day 2. I will also be on the police stand at The Hadleigh Show on Saturday 17 May – again, please stop by for a chat if you are attending.
It has always been a crucial component of our engagement plan to make presentations and talks for any business or community group, councils or special interest organisations across the county. That offer is there so please feel free to get in contact with the office if you would like to attend a meeting to explain more about my role and answer any questions you may have.
Published in Bury Free Press in May 2025