Probably the best village in the world
The Parish Council is always keen to reduce help reduce crime as much as possible and ensure that Bucklesham remains a safe place to live. We are very lucky to live in such a low crime area. Suffolk has the second lowest crime rates in England and Wales, and Bucklesham is one of the safest villages in Suffolk.
Every month, the Clerk checks the Suffolk Constabulary website – What’s Happening In Your Area? and reports back to the Parish Council at the following meeting in the Clerk's Report.
The Council has a duty to have due regard of crime and disorder under s19 of the Crime and Disorder Act when making decisions, therefore we record this information in the minutes. If crime and disorder were to become a problem in Bucklesham we would consider all steps necessary to assist the Police in mitigating it.
We have built up an excellent working relationship with our Community Police Officer, PC Arlene Ell. PC Ell often patrols the village at all times of the day and night, ensuring we are all safe. PC Ell also occasionally visits the Church Lunch and shares a meal with local residents, or stops by at the school to make sure everyone is parking safely and legally. If time and shifts allow, she also visits us at our Community Cuppas and Cakes mornings in the Village Hall.
One of the most likely causes of crime in a village like ours is anti-social behaviour by bored young people. The Parish Council does all we can to engage with the young people of our village. We listened to them when they asked for bike jumps on the Playing Field, and as a community, we worked together to provide this for them.
We are aware that there is not much to do in Bucklesham for teenagers, so we also organised Photography Workshops in the school holidays for young people aged 8 to 18. This was thanks to a grant from The Children and Young People Culture Fund. We will continue to provide opportunities like this for our young people and engage with them to help find alternatives to crime and disorder.
