I am very pleased with the overall performance of Suffolk Constabulary.
I would like to draw particular attention to the progress the force has made in its protection and support of vulnerable victims in the last year. Officers and staff in the control room are effective at identifying where victims are at particular risk and they deploy officers appropriately to incidents that involve people who are vulnerable.
The force has improved investigations involving vulnerable people. It has also improved its response to missing children.
The force is good at preventing crime and tackling anti-social behaviour. It has a good understanding of the threats facing the people of Suffolk, and is effective at problem solving with partner organisations.
The force does however need to ensure that taking officers away from working in their communities to respond to emergencies is not having a negative effect on its ability to prevent crime from happening in the first place.
I am pleased by the force’s approach to investigating crime and managing offenders. Crime investigations are conducted to a high standard and it is good at protecting the public from the most prolific, serious and dangerous offenders. Suffolk Constabulary has an impressive high-tech crime unit with Norfolk Constabulary, investing in new technology and training to ensure that evidence can be secured from electronic devices to support prosecutions.
Suffolk Constabulary also works well with its neighbour, Norfolk Constabulary, to protect the public from serious and organised crime. It is encouraging to see the two forces working together in this way; particularly as the types of crime they are tackling span wider geographical areas than just each force’s locality.
I am reassured that the force has improved its understanding of the wide range of demand it faces when preventing and fighting crime and protecting local communities. The force has worked with a wide range of partners like local councils to uncover hidden harm within local communities. This ranges from protecting vulnerable people from harm to emerging crimes including modern-day slavery.
The force has developed financial and organisational plans based on sound assumptions. HMIC will watch with interest how the force maintains this efficiency, making sure that the skills and capability of the workforce meet future crime trends such as cyber-crime. It should also invest in technology and consider updating its current technology strategy.
Suffolk Constabulary has good collaboration arrangements in place with Norfolk Constabulary, local councils and mental health practitioners which has undoubtedly improved the services it provides while at the same time saving money.
I am pleased to find that the force takes seriously the feedback it receives from the public it serves, and ensures that it responds by improving where it needs to. It communicates well with specific communities across Suffolk. For example, having identified an increase in complaints from people with autism, the force introduced a learning package to help officers and staff understand autism and adapt their approach accordingly.
The vetting of new recruits is effective, and the force is taking action to address the backlog of people in its workforce whose vetting has expired. Corruption is taken seriously by the force. It works hard to identify and intervene in potential corruption at an early stage, which is proving effective, and it recognises abuse of authority for sexual gain (taking advantage of a position of power to exploit vulnerable victims of crime) as serious corruption.
I am pleased by the force’s approach to the well-being of its workforce: it provides a wide range of well-being services, and takes preventative and early action that includes workshops to help staff identify factors that cause stress.
In summary, I commend the force on the service it is providing to the people of Suffolk.
Context
Suffolk Constabulary provides policing services to the county of Suffolk. Suffolk is generally affluent, although there are some areas of deprivation. The force area is home to around 0.7 million people, who live in a predominantly rural setting. It has a small number of distinct urban areas that include the towns of Ipswich and Lowestoft.
The resident population is increased by university students and the large numbers who visit or travel through the area each year. The transport infrastructure includes 81 miles of trunk roads and major sea ports.
The proportion of areas in Suffolk that are predicted (on the basis of detailed economic and demographic analysis) to present a very high challenge to the police is lower than the national average. The most challenging areas are generally characterised by a high concentration of people living, working, socialising, or travelling in the area.
Features that both cause and/or indicate a concentration of people include the number of commercial premises, including licensed premises and fast-food premises, public transport, and social deprivation. In some areas, these features are combined.
Working arrangements
Suffolk Constabulary works with Norfolk Constabulary in a collaboration that covers operational policing services, such as major crime investigation, armed policing and roads policing, as well as business support functions, such as human resources, finance and technology.
The force shares several buildings with Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service.
Looking ahead to 2017
In the year ahead, I will be interested to see how the force responds to this assessment and to the areas for improvement that HMIC identified last year.
I will be particularly interested to see:
- how the force realises fully the benefits from its investment in technology; and
- how the force equips its workforce with the necessary skills to meet the future demands for its services.
