The latest report from the Home Office, the Police Performance Monitoring 2003/04 report, published last week highlights the growing problem of robbery and burglary in the Suffolk Constabulary. These are the official figures for the year up to March 2004.

The report shows that there has been a 4.4% increase in domestic burglaries and a 16.5% increase in robberies. There has also been a 'significant decrease' in the number of Suffolk residents thinking the police do an excellent or good job. However, the report does show a slight increase in the percentage of offences brought to justice.

David Ruffley said:

'Our Suffolk policeman and police women work hard and have cut some crime but, we can now also see a rise in the number of robberies across Suffolk. This is not the fault of our frontline police- they are being hamstrung by Government red tape.

'The report also confirms that police officers are spending less than two thirds of their time actually on the beat fighting criminals. This is not the fault of our dedicated Suffolk policemen and women. Our police officers in Suffolk are working hard, but are being dragged down by Whitehall bureaucracy that prevents them from patrolling the streets and catching criminals. This is why Conservatives want to see a greater emphasis on neighbourhood policing, a greater say for local people on how police forces are run, we want them to be backed up by more money for an extra 379 police officers across Suffolk that Michael Howard promises under a Conservative Government.'

Notes to editors:

The full report can be accessed via the following link

http://www.policereform.gov.uk/docs/ppm04_RADARcomplete.pdf