Communities are being reminded to check their homes, vehicles, businesses and financial security as the next phase of the force’s First Principle crime prevention initiative launches.

The initiative, which was launched by the force two years ago, is continuing to urge residents and businesses to make sure they are aware of the measures they can take to protect themselves.

Further categories such as protecting businesses during the pandemic, recent scams and keyless car theft advice, among others, have been added to the online suite of crime prevention topics that are available to view on the force’s website.

Inspector Claire Simons said: "Following the launch two years ago, we have now improved and updated the advice and information available on our website as part of our First Principle crime prevention initiative.

"The initiative, which was originally inspired by Sir Robert Peel’s nine principles of modern policing, is about Suffolk police working more effectively with its partners and the public in order to prevent crime.

"Times are changing and with extra demands being placed on the force, there is a significant role our communities can also play in preventing crime.

"In a number of incidents, we find that a crime could often have been prevented from happening if a few simple crime prevention steps were taken. For example, opportunist criminals will be on the look out at this time of year for valuables on display and potential Christmas presents.

"We want to remind everyone that each of us has a responsibility to protect ourselves and our property. Taking simple steps to prevent crime can often be all that is needed to reduce the chances of becoming a victim of crime.

"With this in mind, and as types of crime and trends change, we have added further categories to our bespoke suite of crime prevention on our website.

"By following our advice, residents can help us to reduce crime and in turn, feel safer in their homes and on the street.”

The force is also asking residents to be mindful of vulnerable or elderly neighbours and to take the time to check their crime prevention measures are in place.

To access the documents and for further crime prevention advice visit: http://www.suffolk.police.uk/advice/crime-prevention-z

If you would like a hard copy of any of the information, please contact the force via its website.

 An easy way to access the First Principle information is to scan the QR code.  

Robert Peel's First Principle of modern policing is:

"To prevent crime and disorder, as an alternative to their repression by military force and severity of legal punishment."

The modern interpretation is:

"The basic mission for which the police exist is to prevent crime and disorder."

 Help us keep our communities safe.

Police in Suffolk are reminding drivers that there is #NoNeedtoSpeed as part of a national campaign aiming to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads.

Road Safety Week which starts today, Monday 16 November, and runs until Sunday 22 November is organised by the charity Brake, and aims to raise awareness of the dangers on our roads and the steps drivers can take themselves to help improve their own safety, and the safety of other road users.

During this period Suffolk Police will also be supporting the NPCC roads policing campaign targeted towards vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and horse riders.

Between 1 November 2019 and 31 October 2020, Suffolk saw a total of 272 reported collisions in which someone was killed or seriously injured. 35% of these collisions involved a vulnerable road user. These vulnerable road users accounted for 17% of the total number of people killed in collisions between this period.

As part of the enforcement activity of Road Safety Week, officers from the Joint Roads and Armed Policing Team will be conducting high visibility roadside speed checks across both counties, educating and informing drivers of the risks posed by speeding and the effects this can have on vulnerable road users. Both marked and unmarked police vehicles will be used, equipped with speedometers and video recording equipment in order to target speeding drivers.

As part of the campaign, road users are also being encouraged to download the What3Words app. This provides people with a simple and precise way to share their location quickly and easily and can help to assist when involved in a collision that has happened in an unfamiliar or hard-to-describe area.

Temporary Chief Inspector Jon Chapman, of the Joint Protective Services, said: "Due to recent lockdowns we have seen more pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders using the roads as part of their daily exercise routine, which they are perfectly entitled to do. It is therefore extremely important that we use this campaign to raise awareness of the dangers speeding drivers pose to not only themselves and other drivers, but to these vulnerable road users.

"There are many reasons that people might give as to why they were driving at excess speed, for example, they are in a rush to get somewhere, they are unaware of the speed limit, or they enjoy driving fast. There are no excuses for putting the lives of others in danger.

"As we continue to reiterate speeding is one of the ‘Fatal Four’ offences which makes you more likely to be involved in a serious or fatal collision. The faster a vehicle is travelling, the more energy is transferred in a crash, and the higher the risk of death or serious injury.

"It is simple - there really is No Need to Speed!”

Tim Passmore, Police and Crime Commissioner for Suffolk, said: "There really is no excuse for any road user to speed. Speed limits are set for a reason and it’s important that all drivers keep to the limit if we’re going to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads.

"I fully support this national #NoNeedToSpeed campaign and the promotion of What3Words which is particularly pertinent in a rural county where it can be difficult to pin down a location if people need help.  It only takes a minute to download the app so I’d encourage everyone to download it now, you never know when you might need it.”

Motorists caught speeding will be issued with a Traffic Offence Report (TOR) and face a fine, points on their licence or even court action. Some drivers can opt to take part in a speed awareness course.  

For results and updates throughout the campaign follow the Roads Policing Unit on Twitter @NSRAPT using the hashtag #NoNeedtoSpeed

For more information about Road Safety Week please visit: https://www.brake.org.uk/how-we-help/raising-awareness

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Police are appealing for help to trace two males who have absconded from Hollesely Bay prison.

Durman is serving a sentence for robbery and driving while disqualified. He is described as five foot eight inches tall, is of stocky build, has blue eyes and has stubble on his face. He also has a tattoo of a tiger on his right arm.

Pardoe is serving a sentence for robbery, theft from a motor vehicle and burglary other than dwelling with intent to steal.  He is described as five foot nine inches tall, with brown hair and brown eyes, is clean shaven and weight around 70kg. He has a scar on his right side of his face.

Enquiries are on-going to locate both males. Anyone who has seen either inmate or knows of their whereabouts should contact Suffolk police quoting CAD number 448 of 12 November 2020 for Durman and CAD number 449 of 12 November 2020 for Pardoe

To report something anonymously call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit www.crimestoppers-uk.org

Alternatively call 101 for non-urgent matters.

Always call 999 in emergencies, or if an immediate police response is required.

Suffolk Constabulary is asking for the public’s help this week (w/c 9 November) to support them as they take part in Operation Sceptre, the national week of action against knife crime. 

Officers from across Suffolk will use intelligence-led deployments as part of ongoing work with partners to tackle knife-based criminality, and associated gang activity.

Our Schools Liaison Officers and Community Engagement Officers will be working with young people and continuing work with partners in delivering information into schools across Suffolk on knife crime, County Lines and gangs during the week of action.

Much of the support can also take place in the home by having conversations - whether it’s talking to someone in their family about the dangers of carrying a knife or by telling police about anyone you believe is carrying a knife.

Superintendent Kerry Cutler said:  "With us all spending more time indoors with family due to the pandemic, it’s an ideal opportunity to talk about issues that normally wouldn’t get raised.

"Having that honest conversation about knife crime and listening and giving time to a young person can encourage them to think about their decisions and behaviour. Talking and listening is critical to finding a solution to the issue we have seen nationally around knife crime.

"Whilst the majority of young people do not carry knives, it is possible that children are in contact with friends who do so without parents/carers knowing. Often children will have talked about knives with friends or heard stories about those that carry them.

"There is plenty of useful information available on our website as well as advice for young people about gang/county lines culture and how to leave a gang. I urge parents and teenagers to take time to look at the pages.”

Suffolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner Tim Passmore said: "Operation Sceptre gives the Constabulary an opportunity to raise awareness of the dangers of knife crime and also give people an opportunity to deposit blades safely – I fully support this work.

"Talking about the consequences of carrying a knife – both at home and at school – is so important.   As a parent I know how difficult these conversations can be, but I would urge parents and carers to take advantage of this Operation Sceptre campaign to broach the subject at home. 

"Knife crime is a growing problem and it’s got to stop. Carrying a knife doesn’t make you safe and sadly, as we all know, it can lead to dreadful consequences.”

For more information and advice regarding Having The Conversation see http://www.suffolk.police.uk/advice/personal-safety/knife-crime/having-conversation  

Anyone with information on knife crime in their local community is asked to contact Suffolk Police on 101, or pass information to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. In an emergency, always dial 999.

Knife amnesty bins across the county give people the opportunity to dispose of knives and blades safely. If you are using the bins please ensure you are following current Government COVID guidelines.  Three knife bins are located in Ipswich (outside the Fire Station, Queen’s Way and Bramford Road) and at police stations in Lowestoft, Bury St Edmunds, Mildenhall, Sudbury and Haverhill and in Stowmarket at the junction of Stricklands Road and Ipswich Street. 

For more information and advice about knife crime do look at our website -www.suffolk.police.uk/advice/personal-safety/knife-crime

A 41-year-old man has been jailed for five years and four months after being found guilty of conspiracy to steal motor vehicles in the East of England.

Miroslav Pesko, of Greenbay Road, Charlton, London was found guilty of the conspiracy after his trail at Norwich Crown Court, which concluded today, Thursday 5 November and had lasted almost three weeks.  The first trial earlier this year was suspended after being part heard to heard due to Covid-19 restrictions.

A complex investigation led by East Suffolk CID officers in 2019 into a number of vehicle thefts across the East of England resulted in six men being arrested and charged with conspiring with one another to steal motor vehicles.

Miroslav Pesko, was arrested along with two other men, Almantas Andriuskevicius and Ignas Bielevicius both 25-years-old and both of London Road South, Lowestoft. All three were arrested in London during the early hours of 5th September 2019.

Later that day Dzanetas Simanskas, a 27-year-old man of London Road South, Lowestoft was arrested after police executed a number of search warrants at premises in the town and Tadas Taraskevicius, a 27-year-old man, of no fixed abode, was arrested in Norwich.

The men were questioned by detectives and in September 2019 all five were charged with conspiring with one another to steal motor vehicles between 26 January 2019 and 6 September 2019. Andriuskevicius, Bielevicius and Simanskas were also charged with fraudulently using registration marks, namely various number plates used on stolen motor vehicles during the same time period.

The five men were initially held in custody to appear before Norwich Magistrates Court in September 2019 where all, with the exception of Tadas Taraskevicius were remanded in custody to appear before Norwich Crown Court on 7th October 2019.

A sixth man who was being investigated by police in connection with the conspiracy fled to Lithuania from the UK in 2019. Police made an application for a European Arrest Warrant and after liaising with the Lithuanian authorities Viktoras Sakalauskas aged 26 years was arrested. Suffolk police officers travelled to Lithuania in October 2020 and collected Sakalauskas. He was returned to the UK and was charged with conspiracy to steal motor vehicles and fraudulent use of vehicle registration plates. Sakalauskas appeared before Norwich Crown Court on 20 October and pleaded guilty to both offences and was remanded into custody to be sentenced at a later date.

Miroslav Pesko was the head of this organised crime group, using specialist skills and knowledge to facilitate the thefts of the vehicles.

Andriuskevicius, Sakalauskas, Bielevicius, Simanskas and Tarasekevicius were the offenders going out at night travelling all over the East of England to physically steal Mercedes vans. The prosecution accepted that Taraskevicius was a less significant member of the gang who only went out with the others on a few occasions.

The court heard how Andriuskevicius and his co-defendants would drive around looking for suitable vehicles to steal, after breaking into them they would remove the Electronic Ignition Switch (EIS) from the vehicle and then travel to the home address of Pesko in London. Whilst the thieves waited nearby Pesko would recode a new blank key to work in the stolen ignition switch. The thieves then drove back to the vehicle they had removed it from and after fitting the ignition switch back in the van they were then able to drive it away. The vehicles were often then stripped of personal belongings which were dumped on the roadside, any vehicle tracking devices were removed and disposed of and the genuine registration plates were replaced with cloned plates. The vehicles were then driven by the gang to a garage in Essex known as a ‘chop shop’ where they were broken down into parts. The parts were later sold on or shipped abroad. The court heard how Pesko had links to the ‘chop shop’ based in Essex.

Dzanetas Simanskas plead guilty to the conspiracy and to fraudulently using vehicle registration plates and was jailed for 12 months when he appeared before Norwich Crown Court on 28 May 2020.

Almantas Andriuskevicius (AKA Zuira) and Ignas Bielevicius both pleaded guilty to the conspiracy and to fraudulently using vehicle registration plates when they appeared before Norwich Crown Court on 7 February 2020. On 28 May 2020 Bielevicius was sentenced to 18 months in jail when he appeared before the same court. Zuira is due to be sentenced at a later date.

Tadas Taraskevicius pleaded guilty when he appeared before Norwich Crown Court on 26 August 2020 and was imprisoned for a total of 15 months - nine months for the conspiracy offence and six months for unrelated theft and burglaries offences.

Detective Inspector Matt Adams who led the operation said,

"This investigation began in May last year and was initially aimed at targeting the suspected criminal activity of those individuals who lived in Lowestoft. The investigation soon grew and we were able to identify other thieves as well as the involvement of Miroslav Pesko based in London. The scale of the conspiracy against Pesko was proven to involve the theft of over 100 Mercedes vans from across the East of England. The value placed on the loss of these vehicles is well in excess of 1 million pounds, although this does not take include the loss of personal property from inside the vehicles or the loss of earnings suffered by many who relied upon their vans to go about their daily business.

"The investigation has had a number of complexities to overcome and taken several months to reach this point. The whole investigation team have worked exceptionally hard to bring these offenders to justice. I am also grateful to the support given to us by a number of other specialist policing teams from across the region.”

Police are issuing a warning to residents across Suffolk following an attempted doorstep fraud in Stowmarket.

The incident occurred at 9am this morning, Wednesday 4 November, in the vicinity of Phoenix Way.

Two men knocked on the door of a house in the area and told the occupant that she owed them £100 for unpaid Amazon purchases, which she knew was not true and so the men subsequently left.

Shortly after this, the same woman then received a phone call from an unknown number, with the caller claiming she needed to pay for items bought on her Amazon account. However, she had already double-checked with Amazon that there were no payments outstanding.

The two men who called at the door are described as follows:

-        Male one: white, aged in his 20s, heavy build and blond hair. He was wearing a gold chain and numerous other items of gold jewellery

-        Male two: mixed race, aged in his early 20s, of slim build and wearing a black converse tracksuit

They did not make any threats towards the woman whose house they called at, or make any attempts to enter the property. They walked off along a footpath, heading in the general direction of Mortimer Road.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Stowmarket Neighbourhood Response Team, quoting reference: 63986/20.

Website – http://www.suffolk.police.uk/contact-us/existing-report-update

Email – Grant.Stephens@suffolk.pnn.police.uk

Phone – Call 101

Crimestoppers – Contact the independent charity Crimestoppers 100% anonymously on 0800 555 111, or via their online form: www.crimestoppers-uk.org

Please note in the event of an emergency you should always call 999

More information on common types of fraud and scams - and how to avoid becoming a victim - can be found on the Suffolk Constabulary website here: http://www.suffolk.police.uk/sites/suffolk/files/fraudprevention1.pdf

Help us keep our communities safe.

Please find attached a message from Suffolk Resilience Forum with advice and guidance on how to stop the spread of Covid 19 when self isolating.

Keep Suffolk Safe