POLICE in Suffolk say they have an “open policy” towards the media in the wake of new figures which showed that 85 per cent of crimes reported in a one-week period were not made public.

POLICE in Suffolk say they have an “open policy” towards the media in the wake of new figures which showed that 85 per cent of crimes reported in a one-week period were not made public.

Following a Freedom of Information Act request, it has emerged that of the 910 crimes reported between October 27 and November 2, details of 141 were released to the media.

But a spokeswoman for Suffolk Constabulary said the force had an open policy when dealing with the press.

“This is for two main reasons; firstly, we depend upon public support to do our job effectively and the public's perception of our work is moulded by what they see in the media,” she said.

“Secondly, issuing accurate timely information about incidents, through the media, can often result in the police receiving vital information from the public, which can help solve crimes.”

She said that appeals were sent to local media through crime briefs and press releases and priority was given to offences such as murder, sexual assaults, robberies, organised crime, criminal damage and anti-social behaviour, road safety and house burglary.

“Despite the constabulary's open policy towards the media, there are occasions when there are restrictions on the amount of information that can be released,” she added.