Minister for Crime and Policing visit to Ipswich

We have seen a spat of antisocial behaviour and vandalism affecting local independent businesses, so I wanted to talk to the Minister about preventing crime in the Town centre.

When I speak to residents, one of the main comments I get is that they want to see more uniformed officers on the street. Through the national Police Uplift Programme, the Government is recruiting 20,000 police officers in England and Wales to deliver more police officers and increase visibility. Today, the Minister came to meet the new recruits in Suffolk Constabulary’s Neighbourhood Crime Proactive Team, ‘the Kestrel Team’.

I also took the Minister to Dial Lane, where we have sadly seen some acts of vandalism affecting shops, and even the brand new Big Hoot owl. We discussed concerns of local shop owners here, particularly the need for CCTV in the area to reduce anti-social behaviour.

Thank you to Minister Kit Malthouse for coming to Ipswich, and for a productive discussion on preventing crime and anti-social behaviour in our Town centre.