Police roll out new messaging service for updates

Suffolk Police has 1,403 full-time officers looking after a population of 776,400

Police officers hoped to improve dialogue with communities by rolling out a new messaging service.

People who signed up to Suffolk Connected will receive updates about issues affecting them, sent by the county's police force to online subscribers.

It would also allow residents to complete surveys and give feedback to locally-based officers, Suffolk Police said.

"Their views will help shape how we police their area," Ch Supt Janine Wratten added.

The system will replace the existing platform, Police Connect, when it launches in due course.

Known nationally as Neighbourhood Alert, it is also used by forces in Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire.

Ch Supt Wratten, a county police commander, said: "The public are a vital partner in tackling crime. We know that the information we get from them can be crucial.

"Use of the new Suffolk Connected system brings us closer than ever to the communities we serve, and we hope this will continue to strengthen our links and further build trust and confidence."