Launch of Suffolk night-time safety survey

Suffolk Constabulary is launching a survey to understand how safe people in Suffolk feel on a night out in the county.

The aim is to better understand either locations or situations that concern the public, helping police, partners and stakeholders to shape a safer night out for everyone.

Using funds made available through the Home Office Serious Violence Duty (SVD) Suffolk Constabulary will respond to areas of concern in the night-time economy.

The survey is a first step in understanding more about the locations and issues involved across the county, from the public’s perspective. It is hoped that the results will provide a benchmark to measure progress in keeping Suffolk safer, whilst allowing police to deploy SVD resources where they are most effective.

It also provides an additional opportunity for police to directly listen and engage with all the communities that it serves.

Officers are working with licensing teams and other partners to identify both venues and public spaces that generally have a higher risk of violence at night.

Exploring the public’s exposure and understanding of crime and disorder within the night-time economy is also likely to have an impact on the policing response to violence against women and girls.

The night-time safety survey will be available :

• across social media channels,
• direct engagement of uniformed officers on foot patrol within the night-time economy,
• pre-planned night-time policing events,
• access via QR codes on posters,
• visits to students in higher education and sixth forms etc.
• via community partners

The short survey should only take around 5 minutes to complete and will run until the end of October.

No personal data will be captured or stored, and all data is supplied anonymously.

County Policing Commander Chief Supt Alice Scott said: “Our officers work hard during the night-time economy to keep people safe on their night out. We cannot be in all places at once though. We know people want to have an enjoyable night out, then get home safely.

“It is a minority who perpetrate violent offences when fuelled by alcohol. This survey is about understanding what contributes to the public feeling safe on a night out, what we and community partners can do to improve confidence in our night-time economy spaces.”

Suffolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner Tim Passmore added: “We should all be able to enjoy an evening out in towns across the county safely and I know local officers are committed to ensuring everyone can enjoy all that the night-time economy offers without feeling threatened or intimidated.

“It’s really important that the Constabulary understands directly from the public any concerns they may have, and this survey will help identify any areas which may need attention.

“It will only take five minutes to let us know if, and when, you feel vulnerable on an evening out and it really will make a difference to how the Constabulary and partners work to keep us all safe.”