Our Mission, Purpose and Priorities
Police Authority Mission:
The mission of the Authority, taking into account its key responsibilities, is:
'To ensure the delivery of the highest quality police service for Suffolk within the available resources.'
This mission is underpinned by the following principles:
- The continuous and active pursuit of improvement in the delivery of policing in Suffolk.
- Reflecting the needs of the communities within the County in the nature of its policing.
- The active promotion of equality and diversity.
- The effective and efficient use of resources.
- The effective exercise of strong corporate governance.
- The pursuit of better policing outcomes through active work with partners and communities.
Shared Police Authority and Constabulary purpose:
‘To protect people from crime and harm by upholding the law and maintaining order.’
Strategic Aspirations
These statements describe the strategic framework that will shape the Constabulary over the next seven to ten years:
Suffolk Police Authority and Suffolk Constabulary recognise the complexity and challenge facing policing over the next few years. Issues such as the introduction of the Police and Crime Commissioners, the reduction in budget and new and emerging types of crime and criminal behaviour will require a dynamic and flexible approach to planning for and delivering significant change. The following statements provide the framework in which decisions about the future of the Constabulary will be made.
- Policing Priorities. Local policing and responding to the policing needs and concerns of local communities is the cornerstone of the Constabulary.
- Financial Stability. The Authority and Constabulary will work together to minimise the impact of the budget reductions on frontline service delivery by spending wisely and giving the people of Suffolk value for money.
- Workforce. The workforce will receive the training and development required for their role and be focused on delivering essential frontline services. They will be managed by competent and motivated supervisors and managers and know that their work is recognised and valued. The workforce mix will reflect the community it serves providing value for money by operating as efficiently and effectively as possible.
- Collaboration and Partnerships. The Authority and the Constabulary will actively pursue opportunities to deliver operational policing and business support functions in collaboration and partnership with others and in particular with Norfolk Constabulary, Suffolk County Council and in regional arrangements.
- Performance. The Authority and the Constabulary will continue to deliver low cost and effective policing services. We will retain our position as one of the safest places in England and Wales to live, to work and to visit.
- Equipment and IT. The workforce will be supported by modern and cost effective equipment and information technology. As changes are made the decision will take into account the desire to move to national or regional solutions to reduce costs and to enable people to work more effectively across geographic borders.
- Buildings. The workforce will be based in fewer buildings and wherever possible in a building shared with other partners. The buildings we occupy will suit the role of the staff based there and provide modern and cost-effective working conditions.
Policing Priorities 2011 to 2014
Suffolk continues to be one of the safest counties in England and Wales; more than 90% of the people who live here feel safe and all of this is achieved at a low cost compared to all other forces.
During the next three years we will maintain this level of performance and to achieve this we aim to:
- Reduce the levels of crime and anti-social behaviour.
- Improve the satisfaction of those who use our services and the confidence of the public in policing.
- Sustain the financial stability of Suffolk Police.
The Authority and the Constabulary have developed its three-year plan, the policing priorities and the performance priorities to reflect the current and predicted threats, risks and community concerns relevant to Suffolk.
Analysis of the information available highlights the following areas of crime and criminality as operational threats or risks:
- The sale and distribution of class A drugs.
- Anti-social behaviour.
- Burglaries of peoples homes.
- Violent incidents that result in an injury.
- Sexual assaults.
- Robberies.
- Terrorism.
Analysis of the internal and external environment affecting policing highlights the following as areas of organisational threat or risk:
- The cost of the changes to information communication technology needed to enable effective collaboration.
- The impact of the Comprehensive Spending Review and our ability to find the required savings whilst maintaining a high level of service.
- The impact of a changing criminal justice system which may leave more offenders in the community.
- The potential for a reduction in partnership working due to the spending decisions made by us or our partners.
- Managing the complexity of collaboration.
- Managing the reduction in workforce numbers whilst maintaining the skills and motivation required to deliver a high level of service.
- Planning for and responding to the demands of the Olympics and other public events including protests.
- The transition from the Police Authority to the Police and Crime Commissioner.
Throughout the year the Police Authority and the Constabulary undertake a range of consultation activities to inform the development of this plan and service delivery.
The top five public concerns raised through consultation were:
- Drugs
- Anti-social behaviour
- House burglary
- Violence in a public place and
- Robbery
The top five business concerns raised through consultation were:
- Theft
- Anti-social behaviour
- Fraud
- Criminal behaviour during night time
- Criminal damage
To view our Three Year Plan in full, along with the framework for assessing the Constabulary performance, please see our Plans, Strategies and Reports section.