New team to tackle serious crime in Suffolk

5 October 2018, 09:32 | Updated: 5 October 2018, 10:11

A new team has been launched to tackle serious crime in Suffolk.

The Serious Crime Disruption Team (SCDT) has been established as part of the wider plans to restructure Suffolk Police.

The SCDT's core aim will be to disrupt serious and organised gangs whose criminal activity focuses on issues such as drug supply and harmful personal acquisitive crime such as robbery and burglary. They will also be available to support domestic abuse, child sexual abuse and serious sexual offence cases.

DCI Jeff Yaxley, who will oversee the SCDT said: "This new team is part of Suffolk Constabulary's commitment to maintain proactive policing. This will ensure we use appropriate policing tactics to target those individuals who cause the most harm to communities.

"Although the officers who form the SCDT are the core personnel, it is envisaged that there will be occasions where they will be joined by area based teams to provide an enhanced proactive capability. The SCDT has specialist skills and is equipped to pro-actively tackle force-wide and local policing priorities, while responding to the needs of local people.

"Intelligence is the life-blood of proactive policing and, in particular, this new team's work. We are keen to respond to the needs of local people to keep our communities safe and I would encourage people to get in touch with us if they see something that seems suspicious or out of place so that we can take action and investigate this."

Police and Crime Commissioner Tim Passmore said: "I think drugs, and the violence linked to this despicable trade, are the biggest threats facing Suffolk at the moment so I'm pleased to see this new team in place.

"I fully support the Chief Constable's plan to prioritise the Constabulary's resources to establish this pro-active team which will tackle the high-risk crimes affecting our communities such as drug supply and violent crime."

He added: "Whilst I am pleased the Constabulary has introduced this new team, I do believe that these drug-related issues cannot be dealt with by policing alone and I will continue to work with other public sector partners in the county as this needs a multi-agency approach."