People deserve more officers, says police body

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

A body that represents police officers said Suffolk was being "short changed" after figures revealed there were two officers per 1,000 people.

Data released by the Police Federation of England and Wales revealed the county had 181 officers per 100,000 residents, below the national average of 219 per 100,000.

Darren Harris, chairman of the Suffolk Police Federation, said "communities deserve better" and called on the force, police and crime commissioner and local MPs to make a change.

Assistant Chief Constable Alice Scott reassured there were "highly committed and professional officers" working despite financial pressures.

Darren Harris called on Suffolk Police as well as the police and crime commissioner and local MPs to increase the number of officers

Figures released by the Federation, following analysis of Home Office figures, revealed the county had 1,403 full time officers serving a population of 776,400.

It meant Suffolk ranked at 36th out of 42 police forces in England and Wales for number of officers per head of population.

"Our members do an incredible job, but the reality is that Suffolk is being short-changed," Mr Harris said.

"The centralised funding formula doesn't properly reflect the rising cost of living, especially here in Suffolk.

"And as a result, our officers are stretched to breaking point. They are under-resourced, overstretched, and don't feel supported - let down by those who should have their back."

'Very difficult'

Sarah Mansel, who is the chairwoman of Suffolk County Council's police and crime panel, blamed a lack of funding and the panel regularly discussed what it could do around the issue.

"Clearly if we had more funding we could have more police officers," said Mansel, who is also a Green Party councillor.

However she said she understood it could be "very difficult" as the money had "to come from somewhere".

The government announced in June a 2.3% annual funding increase for policing in England and Wales which it said would "support frontline policing levels" and "help restore public confidence in policing".

In April, the county was also awarded a £1.8m government grant for neighbourhood policing roles by the end of this Parliament.

Peter Prinsley said the county had more officers than it did in 2010 at the end of the last Labour government

Peter Prinsley, Labour MP for Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket, said he believed the county should be "proud" of its force and said the government was "supporting" the police.

He pointed out that the number of officers in Suffolk was roughly similar to neighbouring Norfolk, which has 205 officers per 100,000 people.

"We're by no means the least policed district," he said.

Prinsley referenced the county's crime figures, released by the Office of National Statistics, which revealed the total recorded crime in the 12 months to the end of March had decreased by 3.1% compared with the previous 12 months.

Suffolk Police had a budget of £195.3m for the 2025-26 financial year.

'We remain focused'

Ms Scott said the force, like those across the country, was "facing increased demand, stretched resources and continuing financial pressures".

Officers were deployed "based upon the risk of harm presented to our communities", she said.

"We keep the model under close review, prioritising where our people are needed most," she added.

"The public should feel reassured we have highly committed and professional officers responding to emergencies and investigating crime.

"We remain focused on providing a police service that develops closer relationships with our communities, listens to feedback and provides an effective service."

The Home Office was contacted for comment.