Will the police continue to provide emergency and 24-hour
response?
Yes, emergency and 24-hour response remains a priority for
Suffolk Constabulary. This will be provided by the Neighbourhood
Response Teams as well as the officers in the Safer Neighbourhood
Teams.
What is a Safer Neighbourhood
Team?
A dedicated team made up
of police officers, police community support officers, special
constables, volunteers and other organisations. It is being
proposed that council workers such as community wardens will also
be involved. They will all be working together with local people in
their neighbourhood to improve their quality of life.
What is a neighbourhood?
In urban areas, a neighbourhood may be a small area of a town.
In rural areas, a neighbourhood may cover a number of parishes. The
neighbourhoods have been created in consultation with local
councils, and take into account levels of police demand,
resources and ward boundaries.
Why have Safer Neighbourhood Teams been created?
The Government promised all local communities would have a local
Safer Neighbourhood Team by 2008. These teams will address issues
affecting quality of life and feelings of safety.
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How do I find out who is on my local Safer Neighbourhood
Team?
By summer 2007 you will be able to access details about
your team by visiting your local Safer Neighbourhood Team website.
You will also be able to find out about the other organisations
working with the team, such as the district and borough councils
and the county council.
To see if your team’s website is live, please click on the
following:
Team
Sites
If your local team website is not yet available,
please contact Suffolk Constabulary on 01473 613500, where someone
will be able to help you.
How do I get in touch with my Safer Neighbourhood Team and
when will they be available?
Each Safer Neighbourhood team
will have its own website by summer 2007, where you will be able to
find your local team’s address, contact details and opening
hours.
To see if your team site is live, please click on the following
link:
Team Sites
If your local team website is not yet available, please contact
Suffolk Constabulary on 01473 613500, where someone will be able to
help you.
What is the role of the police in the Safer Neighbourhood
Team?
Safer Neighbourhood Teams will be staffed largely by
sergeants, constables, police community support officers, specials
and volunteers.
They will be working with other team members such as youth
workers, housing associations and anti-social behaviour
co-ordinators to identify and tackle problems which have been
raised by the local community.
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What is a police community support officer?
Police community support officers have some police powers, which
are mainly focused on promoting community safety and stopping
anti-social behaviour. They are not police officers but will deal
with ‘low-level’ crime and anti-social behaviour.
What is a community warden?
Community wardens are members of staff from councils and other
public organisations who have regular face-to-face contact with the
local community. They may be environmental health officers, fire
officers, youth workers or social workers, for example. They will
be able to pass on any concerns from the local community to the
Safer Neighbourhood Teams.
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How can I find out about the local priorities and problems
being addressed in my area?
You can contact Suffolk Constabulary on (01473) 613500 and ask
to speak to your local Safer Neighbourhood Team. Safer
Neighbourhood Teams will also hold public forums where you can hear
about what the team is working on.
How do I report a problem?
You can report a specific problem, including noise nuisance,
abandoned cars, fly tipping, and problems relating to dogs by using
our ‘report a problem’ form. To access the online reporting form,
please click on the following:
Report a
problem
If you use this facility, your report will be passed to
the appropriate team member, which will not always be the
police.
How do I get involved?
It is vital people work with their local Safer Neighbourhood
team to improve the quality of life in their area. It is your
opportunity to influence the service provided by police and other
organisations.
Safer Neighbourhood Teams give you the opportunity to get
actively involved in improving the quality of life in your
neighbourhood. Depending on where you live, you could:
- become a volunteer;
- attend your local Safer Neighbourhood Team meetings;
- tell your Safer Neighbourhood Team what your concerns are;
and
- join or set up a Neighbourhood Watch scheme in your
area.
How do I become a volunteer?
Contact your local team in the first instance to find out about
any current vacancies.
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