Today (Monday 17 January) marks the start of the first ever national Neighbourhood Policing Week of Action, which highlights the key role of police forces in the community.
Suffolk Constabulary is taking the opportunity to shine a spotlight on that role and the fact that officers and volunteers not only work but also live in the communities they serve. While the #partofthecommunity hashtag will be used during this week to raise awareness, neighbourhood policing is at the core of Suffolk Constabulary’s service across the county throughout the year.
Rob Jones, Assistant Chief Constable, said: “Neighbourhood Policing Week is a great opportunity to recognise the value of local policing in Suffolk. This is very close to my heart. We police with the consent of our communities and I am very proud of our public service, which is built on strong values and practical action, solving problems with people and through effective partnerships. And it provides protection to those who are most vulnerable and need help to enjoy their lives in safety.
“Policing through the pandemic has meant we have to be creative in how we engage and how we meet changing demand. And we do not hide from the fact that, in different ways, public confidence in policing has come under threat in the past year. But we need trust in policing, in our fairness, and in knowing we will respond when people need our help. This week will be an opportunity to talk about YOUR police and for us to share what we do on your behalf. I hope you will enjoy the opportunity to find out more about your Constabulary – and, who knows, some of you may feel there is an opportunity to get involved and support and serve the communities you care about directly.”
Suffolk Constabulary’s Kestrel teams play an important role in supporting the force’s capability to deploy into particular areas for a period of time to target crime and engage with communities. The teams support community and local policing priorities through community engagement, tackling criminality and dealing with anti-social behaviour. The first Kestrel team was set up in 2020, with two more created last year, ensuring each local policing command area in Suffolk now has its own dedicated team of officers.
Suffolk’s Police & Crime Commissioner Tim Passmore said: “Neighbourhood policing is so important for Suffolk’s towns and villages where the public can interact with police officers. That vital bond is a powerful relationship which helps prevent criminal behaviour keeping us all safe, and lies at the heart of everything the Constabulary does. As the numbers of Suffolk officers increases during next year to more than 1,400 you can be assured everything possible will be done to strengthen the public’s relationship with their neighbourhood policing teams.”