OFFICERS have arrested their 200th suspect in a drive to crack down on burglaries and robberies in Ipswich.

Since January 1 this year, the Priority Crime Team (PCT) has been concentrating on bringing offenders to justice and reducing levels of offending in Ipswich.

On Tuesday the 200th suspect was arrested as a result of the PCT – following on from the 100th arrest on May 11.

Temporary Detective Inspector Eamonn Bridger, who leads the PCT, said: “I am really pleased with the positive work that the team has accomplished and this reflects Suffolk police’s commitment to making Suffolk a safer place to live and work.

“Robbery and burglary will still remain a focus and we will continue to devote resources to reducing these crimes in Ipswich.

“Criminals have been warned of the consequences of their actions – if they engage in this sort of behaviour they will be arrested, charged and the likelihood is that they will go to prison.

“This figure represents a concentrated, focused approach to two of our main priorities.”

Suffolk police is running the campaign Operation Drawbridge, which aims to reduce the number of burglaries by encouraging homeowners to take simple measures to protect their houses.

Precautions include locking all doors and windows even if you are in the house, installing CCTV, alarms and security lighting, property marking your postcode on to valuable items, recording serial numbers of valuable items and downloading tracking applications to smart phones, laptops and tablets.

The operation also aims to increase the amount of crimes solved by calling upon the public to provide police with information to bring those responsible to justice.

Police are also asking people to report any suspicious behaviour, persons or vehicles immediately by calling 999.