The latest Office for National Statistics figures show that Suffolk has maintained its reputation for having one of the lowest recorded crime rates in England and Wales – out of 43 forces our county is ranked third best. This is clearly good news for all of us.
But we can’t be complacent, keeping crime levels low is a vital factor for encouraging economic growth and inward investment. Bearing in mind the resources available to Suffolk Constabulary and its associated performance, it is more than irritating that successive governments of all colours continue to bury their collective heads in the sand and refuse to allocate a fairer share of funding. Maybe it is ignorance, a stubborn attitude or possibly it’s because they know Suffolk has a “can do” attitude and we just get on with the job. However, as Police and Crime Commissioner, I do need to reassure you I will continue to do what I can to rectify the position and I expect all our members of parliament to do likewise.
The United Kingdom’s financial position has been of great interest recently, particularly following the Comprehensive Spending Review announced by Mrs Reeves a couple of weeks ago. The debate about affordability, levels of taxation, national debt and more, will continue. For what it is worth I am very worried about the levels of debt and the implications this has for future generations. From my perspective, the moot point revolves around receiving additional public largesse including service reform and more productivity – however difficult it is to measure and quantify. I will share a few thoughts with you on what I think might be the implications for policing in Suffolk following the Spending Review. Please remember there is a caveat to this because the precise details are somewhat opaque.
The headline for the Home Office settlement is that spending will increase by 2.3 percent (annually) in real terms. This is less than inflation predictions but for most organisations it seems manageable. However there seems to be, once again, a sting in the tail – the budget increase this will only materialise if Police and Crime Commissioners maximise the increase in the policing portion of your council tax again - which could be around 5 per cent or more. If this is the case, it’s very unwelcome news for many families who are already struggling and from my perspective, weighing up the need to improve police performance and keep taxation down is one hell of a balancing act. That’s why I am so annoyed at the Home Office’s obsession with throwing taxpayers’ money at the metropolitan forces and leaving smaller, rural forces like Suffolk behind.
There have been endless lectures and comments from the Treasury and other government ministries to improve productivity – I entirely agree with this sentiment but we do also need access to capital to make far better use of technology, robotics and artificial intelligence. The power of more collaboration is a must across many agencies and not just in policing and much more can be delivered bringing criminals to justice, improving offender rehabilitation and preventing crime and disorder in the first place. Suffolk has many excellent examples of multi-agency working, but it is just a pity the Home Office and Ministry of Justice refuses to recognise and reward us accordingly. The Safer Streets initiatives over the years have been extremely positive in combatting and preventing neighbourhood crime. The Clear Hold Build programme which targets serious crime in discrete areas are performing well in Felixstowe, Newmarket and Ipswich – it really is all about working together.
Within the Comprehensive Spending Review I was hoping for some relief for the extra costs imposed on the voluntary and charitable sector through the increase in minimum wage and increased national insurance contributions. There also needs to be adequate funding for pay increases when the pay review body proposals are published – last year this was not funded in full and nor were the NIC increases, which puts pressure on the policing budget.
That said, there are always opportunities to become more efficient which is why detailed savings plans are put in place each year and why I am a huge supporter of a regional approach. For the future it is not feasible to believe the size of the public purse can increase for ever.
In my opinion, the Home Office could also be far more business-like in its approach - their management of the Emergency Services Network is at least ten years behind schedule. In leadership positions you must lead by example, and certain ministries can and must perform better. Certainty and clarity of purpose matter in business to deliver good outcomes and we are all here to help!
Published in East Anglian Daily Times in June 2025