Norfolk is blessed with beautiful countryside, thriving market towns and vibrant communities. But whether you live in the city, on the coast or in one of our rural villages, everyone deserves to feel safe where they live.
Last week I spent the day with Adrian Ramsay, the Member of Parliament for Waveney Valley to understand the concerns his residents are bringing up about crime and anti social behaviour. The area he represents covers Diss, Harleston and several rural villages in south Norfolk and he said that the priority was about more visible policing to promote community cohesion and secondly about speeding.
This tallies with my own experience. Road safety is one of the issues raised with me most often. Speeding through villages, dangerous driving and roads that feel unsafe for pedestrians and cyclists affect quality of life every single day. These aren’t just transport issues, they’re community safety issues.
As Police and Crime Commissioner, I will work with local councils, parish councils and the Norfolk Constabulary to ensure that road safety is treated as a priority. Education, enforcement and better-designed streets all have a role to play in reducing harm and making our communities safer.
I also want rural crime to receive the attention it deserves. Farmers, small businesses and rural residents should know that offences such as machinery theft, fly-tipping, wildlife crime and organised criminal activity are taken just as seriously as crimes in our towns and cities.
Norfolk is one county, and everyone deserves the same commitment to keeping their community safe, wherever they live.
By focusing on prevention, partnership and local knowledge, we can protect the places that make Norfolk such a special county while ensuring every community has confidence that the police are there when they’re needed.