Operation Spotlight leads to 45% reduction in anti-social behaviour across Suffolk

Why it matters: The Home Office-funded project delivered an additional 9,000 police patrol hours across the county, helping build public confidence and establishing sustainable problem-solving activities in communities most in need of support.

By the numbers:

• £1m national grant from the Home Office

• 16 identified anti-social behaviour areas

• 45% reduction in ASB incidents recorded

• 9,000 additional police patrol hours delivered

The details: Operation Spotlight was launched in April 2024 to coordinate Suffolk Constabulary's response to delivering 'hotspot' policing following a national grant from the Home Office. The initiative focused on ensuring enhanced uniformed presence in areas identified through detailed analytical mapping of ASB demand across Suffolk.

What they're saying: Suffolk Constabulary stated that "Operation Spotlight has been a great success, not only contributing significantly to a 45% reduction in ASB incidents recorded, and helped us try new innovative things, but also helped to build public confidence and embed sustainable problem-solving activities across the communities most in need of our support."

The bigger picture: The initiative has supported several successful operations across the county:

• Live Facial Recognition: A trial in Ipswich Town Centre on 22 February processed 47,056 faces with zero incorrect alerts, resulting in five arrests from 303 watchlist subjects.

• Operation Mapleton: Nighttime drug testing in Bury St Edmunds engaged with 357 persons, yielding 31 positive alarms, seven stop searches, one cocaine seizure, and one pending suspect interview.

• Roads Policing: A day of action at Sainsbury's on Hadleigh Road in Ipswich resulted in 102 Traffic Offence Reports and five arrests.

• Project Vigilant: This nighttime economy initiative targeting sexual offending and predatory behaviour saw 62 interventions, 16 stop searches, 16 dispersals, two arrests for sexual assault, and one arrest for an RSO showing predatory behaviour during March 2025.

What's next: Suffolk Constabulary is "in the process of building a new bid to access similar funds for 2025" and hopes "to build on the efforts of the last 12 months."

Partnership highlights:

• New bins with Ipswich Town FC branding

• Weekly sports sessions and mentorship particularly successful in harder-to-reach communities

• Funded licences for 10 VR headsets and training packages for use by Youth Justice Service

• Marketing campaign in East Suffolk targeting reduction in drugs and violence

• Partnership with the Fire Service supporting preventative education in schools

The bottom line: Operation Spotlight has delivered measurable results in reducing anti-social behaviour while enabling Suffolk Constabulary to test innovative approaches to policing and develop sustainable community partnerships.