Policing
Policing in Bucklesham
The Parish Council is always keen to 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.
Each month, the Clerk checks the Suffolk Constabulary website – What’s Happening In Your Area? for details of any crime in the village, 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.
Community Policing
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. All residents are invited to come along and see our local officer in person, raise any concerns you may have and find out what your Community Policing Team are doing about issues that matter most in our community.
The Herbert Protocol - helping keep vulnerable people safe.
The Herbert Protocol is a simple but important tool that can help save precious time in an emergency. It's a national scheme that encourages carers, family members and friends to complete a form in advance for someone who may be at risk of going missing. If that person does go missing, the form can be shared immediately with the Police, helping them focus their search quickly and effectively. The scheme is designed to support people caring for someone with dementia or Alzheimer's.
Anti Social Behaviour
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.
In an attempt to prevent any anti-social behaviour from occurring on the Playing Field, and also as we are mindful of the neighbours of the Field, the Parish Council lock the gates at dusk. A CCTV camera was placed at the entrance to further deter help crime and anti-social behaviour. The allotments are also locked after the last tenant leaves at the end of the day.
Rural Crime
Rural crime is an issue for many areas of the country, and Bucklesham is not exempt from it. It can be hard to know whether something is a crime and whether to contact the police or not.
Types of rural crime
Rural crime tends to fall into one of four categories:
- agricultural
- equine
- wildlife
- heritage
It can also fall under environmental crime, which covers illegal waste dumping, fly tipping, polluting watercourses and land.
Agricultural
Agricultural crime covers working farms, farm machinery, farm buildings and smallholdings. Offences include theft of equipment or fuel, damage to property and livestock worrying.
Equine
Equine crime covers working stables and equestrian centres and includes offences like tack theft and livestock worrying.
Wildlife
Wildlife crime includes hare coursing, poaching and interfering with protected species. You can find out more about wildlife crime on Suffolk Police's dedicated wildlife crime pages.
Heritage
Heritage crime is defined as 'any offence which harms the value of Britain's heritage assets and their settings to this and future generations'.
That can include offences like lead theft from churches, damage to ancient monuments and illegal metal detecting.
How to report it
If you think an offence has or is about to be committed, let Suffolk Police know. You can report a crime online.
If you’re not sure it’s a crime, they would rather hear from you and determine that themselves.
All residents are asked to be vigilant and proactive in preventing crime in our village. All crimes can be reported to Suffolk Police on their website or by calling 101, or 999 in an emergency.
| Date |
Crimes reported
in Bucklesham
|
Date |
Crimes Reported
in Bucklesham
|
| April 2026 |
|
May 2026
|
|
| February 2026 |
0
|
March 2026 |
0
|
| December 2025 |
2
|
January 2026 |
0
|
| October 2025 |
1
|
November 2025 |
0
|
| August 2025 |
2
|
September 2025 |
1
|
