Norfolk Chief Constable tells us they continue to focus on serious crime
It comes after the constabulary's latest data found the number of homicides in the county has already hit it's yearly average
The Chief Constable of Norfolk Police has told us the service will continue to focus their efforts and resources on the most serious issues, people care about.
It comes after the constabulary's latest data found the number of homicides in the county has already hit it's yearly average.
While stalking and harassment offences makes up 16% of all reported crime and total number of 999 calls remains very high.
"Do I think there's any greater risk to the people of Norfolk? Not at all".
Paul Sanford told us there's no need to panic following a spate of murders: "One unique thing across them all is that this is known people attacking other known people, so this isn't stranger attacks and this is typically events that occur behind closed door.
"Do I think there's any greater risk to the people of Norfolk? Not at all. But, yes it has been a challenge for us."
"I think Police can meddle in stuff where it's not our place to do so"
He went on to tell us it's vital they come down hardest on the most serious crimes: "Some of the matters that are reported to us are at the very trivial end of offending and some are at the very most serious end.
"We will direct our resources towards the most serious, because I think Police can meddle in stuff where it's not our place to do so.
"To reiterate, there are some serious cases in there, which are very serious and we will bring these offenders to justice.
"We have also seen significant increases in sexual abuse, rape offences, of course I'm going to prioritise them, I'm going to prioritise the management of sex offenders because they represent a risk to our community.
"There's only so many areas where I can put resource and I do try to make sure that resources I allocate goes to the activities that the public would most expect."
"I think we're currently on a very unfortunate run of some very tragic events"
But he concluded by saying he's confident the picture will get better- if everyone pulls in the right direction: "I think we will get back to a sense of normality, I think we're currently on a very unfortunate run of some very tragic events.
"Particularly, in regards to domestic abuse we have now got to look at what's causing it. We have got to see a societal change that domestic abuse is not acceptable and it does concern me that the amount of domestic abuse is rising."