Figures show a 20% drop in knife crime in Suffolk
Suffolk remans ranked third for the lowest levels of recorded crime in England and Wales
New data from the Office for National Statistics has shown a 20% drop in knife crime in Suffolk.
Public order, stalking and harassment, robbery, drug offences, violence against the person, criminal damage, possession of weapons also saw drops in recorded crime in the 12 months to December 2024.
It means Suffolk remains ranked third for the lowest levels of recorded crime in England and Wales. Five years ago, Suffolk was in 13th position in terms of its crime levels.
Deputy Chief Constable Rob Jones said: “We need to remember that crime statistics don’t give the full picture of a local policing service.
“I am acutely aware that if you have been the victim of a crime these results will mean little to you. For these people, the personal sense of shock and distress will always be there, I am sure and never leaves you. My sympathies are with you and our priority will always be to ensure we deliver a high level of service to victims.
“That said, these figures do show a consistent and stable position for the force. The figures demonstrate an affirmation of how safe we are as a county and are a mark of how we continue to improve, innovate and work hard to keep the people of Suffolk safe and to solve crime and catch criminals.
“We are always very cautious about performance tables, and I am not a great fan of them, but to see us rated third once again for a third consecutive period shows the strong sense of stability and very productive and successful working.”
“We have always been proud of having strong community links with our public in Suffolk and the introduction of our new policing model in December 2023 has strengthened this relationship.
“Over the past year, the response from community leaders and residents has on the whole been very supportive, well received and positive which is really encouraging to hear and we thank them for their support.”
Vehicle offences, theft, sexual offences and shoplifting all saw slight rises, compared to the previous 12 month period.
Suffolk Police and Crime Commissioner Tim Passmore said: “I am very proud to see that Suffolk remains one of the safest places in the country in which to live, work, travel and invest.
“Suffolk is a good force, but it is a small force covering a huge geographic area and is also one of the lowest-funded forces in the country. To be ranked third for the lowest levels of recorded crime in England and Wales for three consecutive quarters is a tremendous achievement.
"The significant drop in knife crime is very encouraging and I would like to think this is helped by Constabulary's targeted focus in this area and the increase in visible community policing across the county but important to say we are not complacent.
“Suffolk Constabulary continues to punch well above its weight in the national arena and we should all be reassured by this.
“I would like to thank officers, staff and volunteers for their unstinting commitment to keep us safe.”